Predator: Treacherous
by Raptor-Chick
Summary: Matt returns once again to Earth to visit his sister. The Yautja come along for a hunt, but they meet an ooman that once nearly killed GuanThwei. The government wants the Yautja and will do anything to get them... Rated for blood, gore and language.
1. Chapter 1

_Hooray for Spring Break! It's given me so much time to type. At long last, the final installment in the Matt Booker trilogy is beginning. I seriously hope this gets more of a response than The Tale of Mab'ii'tang. I worked so hard on that and I hardly got any response. But, yeah, I hope to get at least one more chapter up over spring break, but if not, then I have Easter long weekend. So, please, please give me reviews because they keep me writing and enjoy! I may make the Tale of Mab'ii'tang into a proper story, rather than a one shot. If not, he'll appear in some other fic. Let's just say that several thousand years of being alone and in near-constant agony don't have the best effect on a mind._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Yautja, but Matt and Celia are mine, as are the personalities of my characters. Take them without permission and suffer extreme pain and agony at the hands of our very own loopy, megalomaniacal Yautja, Mab'ii'tang!_

_Jehdin/Jehdin: Hand to hand combat, a fight to settle differences or as training._

_Guan-Thwei: Night-Blood._

_Nihkou'te: Tooth or tusk._

_Setg'in-kwei: Tricky and quick._

_S'yuit-de: Shit._

_Kehrite: Training or battle arena._

_Thwei-Tjau'ke: Bloodstone._

_Naxa: A type of fruit._

_Tarei'hasan: Unworthy opponent, type of insect._

Chapter One

A tall young man slumped in a large, fur-draped leather chair, one foot curled beneath him, the other resting on the ground. His tan face was knotted in concentration, tongue sticking out of his mouth, as he carved a piece of ivory with a small knife. Every so often, he blew a few errant strands of sun-streaked, dark blonde hair out of his eyes that had escaped the tail it was tied in. He was muscled from training, having the sort of body that made women lose their powers of speech and go all googly-eyed, but curiously, didn't seem to be aware of it. His name was Matthew Booker, or to his Yautja friends, M'aat-hew. Currently, he was resting and healing up from a loss in a Jehdin/Jehdin match. He had a badly twisted ankle, which also sported some rather deep claw marks. Bruises colored his skin in interesting blue, black and purple shades, turning yellow and green on the edges. Scratches were almost as common as the bruises. He had a black eye. They were all courtesy of his opponent, who had, in Matt's opinion, cheated. The match was only supposed to be to first blood, which had been his. However, the Elder overseeing the math had _really_ been an Elder and had fallen asleep. He was the oldest Yautja on the ship and liked his naps. Without him ordering the fight to end, Matt's opponent fought dirtier and dirtier, until the noise of the crowd finally woke the Elder up. Technically, the other Yautja had not broken the rules. The match had not been formally ended, so he was obliged to continue fighting. Many Yautja warriors, as Matt had come to learn, were not the wise, honorable warriors he had used to think. The younger warriors were the worst, held in check only by their fear of the Elders and Arbitrators, pumped up on hormones and excess energy. They were exactly like school children, turning into horrible brats as soon as the teacher's back was turned. That wasn't to say that Matt didn't misbehave at all; he did, but he didn't beat up other Yautja for fun just because no one was there to tell him to stop. Fortunately, the young warriors either grew out of it, or died. Someone banged on Matt's door.

"What?" Matt yelled, leaning out to get a better look. The door slid open, revealing Guan-Thwei and Nihkou'te. Guan-Thwei was average in height for a Yautja, with yellow-green skin and heavy deep-green mottling. He bore many scars, the worst of which were on his back and thigh. His eyes were bright green. Nihkou'te was much taller than Guan-Thwei and less heavily muscled too. He was a riot of colors; orange, yellow, black and red-brown, streaking and spotting his body. The small crest that ringed his broad forehead was larger and spikier than Guan-Thwei's, accented by his coloration. Unlike his friend, he had no really obvious, unusual scars, which was sheer luck from the amount of fights he was in. His eyes were yellow-orange. They wore identical shit-eating grins.

"You will be pleased to know, M'aat-hew, that we have taken care of your problem."

"And what problem would that be?"

"Your problem with that tarei'hasan."

Matt put his face in his hand. "What have you done now? This had better not gotten any of us is deep s'yuit-de."

"No, no." Nihkou'te said reassuringly, somehow not reassuring Matt at all, "All we did was beat the living daylights out of him."

"_What?!?_ That's gotta be against the Code! All fights have to be done in a kehrite!"

Guan-Thwei raised a brow. "Do you think the rule stops youngsters?"

"You hardly count as youngsters anymore!" Matt retorted. "What if your victim goes to the Council?"

"He will not. He knows his behavior in the Jehdin/Jehdin was unacceptable and he will not draw attention to that fact."

"So it is acceptable to gang up and fight him outside a kehrite?"

Nihkou'te grinned wider. "It is unless someone important finds out. We never get caught." Matt tilted his head to the side. Guan-Thwei answered his silent question.

"We have always done this, ever since we were Youngbloods. If one of us was mistreated in a fight or something, the remaining two would find the one responsible, catch him somewhere remote and proceed to show him the error of his ways." Matt was less horrified as time went on and more interested than anything else.

Nihkou'te continued. "We have always had a longer memory than the others. Sometimes we would wait months for revenge. They rather learned to fear us." His mandibles twitched. "For a while, we looked after Thwei-Tjau'ke too, but after then any warrior with half a brain learned not to bother us or our allies. Until you came along. For a while I was afraid I was going to lose my talents."

"Talents for what? Kicking the snot out of your enemies?"

The spiky warrior nodded happily.

"Wait." Matt said suddenly, "Does this mean you have been doing this for a while?"

"Yes." replied Guan-Thwei. "Nihkou'te and I do not get bothered often anymore, at least in a way that requires revenge, so we shall help-what is that?"

"Huh? Oh. I'm getting a transmission."

"From who?" Nihkou'te asked, following Matt's limping progress over to a table littered with papers, a few beaten-up novels, a naxa pit or two and some scraps of ivory or bone awaiting carving. Underneath all that was a small black box with a movable screen. It looked something like a palm pilot or calculator. Guan-Thwei made a face at the mess. Matt was not very neat and did not permit etas in his chambers. Given that he was once a slave, though a very well-treated one, he saw what many had to put up with and refused to give them extra work. So, his rooms were a mess except when he could no longer stand it and went on a rampage of clean. Sitting back down, Matt switched on the screen, ending the shrill, insistent bleeping.

"What's up, sis?" he said.

"Not much." she replied, "Just wondering how you're doing." Celia took a look at his black eye and winced. "Not so good from the looks of it."

"It's, uh, been taken care of." Matt said, shooting a look at the watching Yautja. They grinned. Guan-Thwei struck a heroic pose and Nihkou'te flexed. "What's up with you?"

"I finished my exams. And I passed 'em all easily!"

"Good for you!" Celia was studying to become a teacher. She had moved out of the foster home soon after she had graduated from high school. She couldn't stand it any longer. Her foster father had become unbearable, constantly dropping snide remarks about Matt and how he 'always knew he was trouble, how he always knew her good-for-nothing brother was going to get himself in such deep shit he wouldn't be able to get out again and if Celia didn't clean up her act, she was going to end up in a gang too.' So, she got a job, worked her ass off, saved her money, applied for every scholarship that she qualified for and moved out. Lee had had to get another job once she started school to pay for everything, but it sounded like she was doing all right. Matt didn't say so, but he thought that what he had instigated had been the best thing for her. She was so much more responsible and mature now.

"What about you? Disembowel anything new lately?"

"Ha ha. I simply die with laughter. Oh god, please stop. I can't take your razor sharp wit any longer." he deadpanned, sarcasm dripping from every word. "No, it's been about the same lately. I'm off hunting until I heal up."

"What is that? Who are you talking to?" Nihkou'te asked rudely. His English wasn't very good and when conversation moved quickly, he had a hard time following it. Nihkou'te pushed his face over the screen, blocking Matt's view.

"Nihkou'te! You idiot! Quit it!" Matt growled, shoving his friend's large head out of the way.

"Who was that?" asked Lee, looking a bit shaken.

"That was just Nihkou'te. He's hyperactive and annoying. I'm pretty sure he has some alien form of ADHD." Guan-Thwei sniggered cruelly behind them. "Nihkou'te, meet my sister, Ce'lia." He gave the name the Yautja pronunciation. "Celia, meet Nihkou'te." She waved as he inclined his head in a small bow.

"Yeah, um, speaking of the Yautja…" Lee said.

"What?"

"I've been seeing some strange stuff."

"Like…?"

"People watching me, people who obviously aren't bums digging through my trash."

"What did they look like?"

"I couldn't really say. " She bit her lip and toyed with her hair. "They all looked really bland, y'know? Just a face in the crowd. They all pretended to look busy when I noticed them."

"Maybe it's your imagination?"

"Hell no. Then there is Terence."

"Who?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought. This guy has started hanging around with me and my friends. He's good-looking and fairly nice, so my friends don't mind, but he gives me the creeps. He keeps asking about you. Where you've been, if I'm contacting you, and stuff like that. He says he knew you in high school."

"What does he look like?"

"Dark-haired, neat, tough, kind of like a football player."

"More like my bully than my friend."

"That's what I thought."

"Maybe they're trying to find me for my murders and all the Yautja kills they're trying to pin on me."

Celia shrugged. "Terence got invited to my place once with a friend when I was having a gathering. They came early, and they saw, oh Matt, they saw the dagger. I was still cleaning up and didn't have time to hide it. He caught me off-guard asking where it came from and I said you! I didn't have a chance to make up a story." Her voice dropped lower. "I can't find it now. I think he took it."

"Shit. I hope you're gonna be okay."

"M'aat-hew." Guan-Thwei said, "If you want to see her, you can. Gts-paik, Setg'in-kwei and another warrior or two are due to go on their first ooman hunt. The larger one isn't leaving for a few months, but I can see if we can take them earlier. I'm sure they would not mind not going on the larger hunt. We will arrange to be their instructors." Matt quickly relayed that information to Lee.

"But what are we going to do?" Matt added. "I am a wanted criminal. I can't just wander around the mall and hope people don't recognize me."

"I know! We can go camping!"

Her brother smirked. "Since when do you go camping?"

"Since I started going with some of my friends last year."

"What, in a trailer or cabin?"

"No, you dumbass, in a tent. The whole deal. I've even bought some of my own stuff."

"I would have loved to be there the first time." Matt pitched his voice in a falsetto version of Lee's. "Eek! A spider! A deer stole my pickles! I broke a nail! Why is there all this mud and dirt around?!?"

"If I could punch you, I would." Lee growled in mock anger. "But seriously, when could I expect you?"

"Um. Three weeks? I'll keep you posted if anything changes."

"Cool. That'll give me enough time to book off a week or so."

"And Celia? Just keep away from that Terence guy. If he touches you, I'll get Guan-Thwei and Nihkou'te to kick his ass."

_True or false: I'm gonna pull a J.K. Rowling and kill off a major character or two. Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_So Easter Long Weekend didn't work out for updating. The library was closed the entire time and then school and work attacked me. I so excited though. I got tickets for Spider-man 3 on opening night! (glomps Venom) I've always wanted to go to a movie that had a huge following on the night that it comes out. I love seeing all the happy little nerds like moi. I'm hoping for some spiffy costumes to giggle at. I too will be all dorked up; I'm wearing my Venom shirt._

_Thank you all SO much for all the lovely reviews. They warmed my evil little heart._

_Awu'asa: Suit of armor._

_Setg'in-kwei: Tricky and quick._

_Guan-Thwei: Night Blood._

_Thwei-Tjau'ke: Blood Stone._

_C'jit: Damn._

_Nihkou'te: Tooth or tusk._

_Ch'hkt-a: Nervous energy, hyperactive._

Chapter Two

They were now orbiting Earth. Matt stood by one of the windows, watching the swirling cloud formations. Setg'in-kwei came up beside him.

"I do not see why we had to come in this ship." He said sulkily, throwing a glance over at M'yin-de, who was chatting with her daughter, Gts'paik. They looked like virtual clones of each other; same height and build, same golden brown freckled skin, same hot orange eyes. The only differences were that Gts'paik had more dark brown freckles, less scars, shorter dreadlocks and lacked a prosthetic right hand.

Matt shrugged. "Thwei-Tjau'ke's ship is too small for all of us. We're lucky we got one this big. It's probably because M'yin-de dotes on her daughter. Would you rather be mashed up in a tiny ship?"

"That still does not mean I have to like her. She goes out of her way to be cruel and teasing."

"Maybe she likes you. That's the way some females behave towards favored males."

Setg'in-kwei gave Matt a terrified look. "Don't say that!"

…..

They exited the small shuttle used for transporting warriors between the larger ship and the planet's surface. Once they were clear of the ship's engines, the pilot rocketed it back up. While Guan-Thwei retched noisily in the bushes, Matt explored a short distance, getting his bearings.

"What way is Ce'lia's encampment?" Guan-Thwei asked once he emerged, looking rather pale and shaky, but managing to keep his voice strong.

"This way." Matt replied, pointing. "It shouldn't be too far." The relative silence of the forest was only broken by animal calls, the slight rustle as they brushed against the undergrowth and the occasional grumbles and curses as Thwei-Tjau'ke tripped over logs and low branches.

"You know," Guan-Thwei sighed, "you didn't have to come. You could have stayed nice and cozy on the ship."

"I-oof-wanted to come. I'm sick of sitting in ships. Besides, who will watch camp or do the repairs?" Nihkou'te and Guan-Thwei exchanged a look. Thwei-Tjau'ke, despite his great status as a repairman, weapons and armor worker, still felt useless. He missed going out on hunts. Soon, they reached a clearing. Through the trees, Matt spied a small camp. It contained a blue and yellow tent, a car and a picnic table set with a red cooler, a water container and various boxes. Sitting on a folding chair by the fire was Celia. A wide grin splitting his face, Matt switched off his cloaking device, removed his mask and strode out of the trees.

…..

Seeing her brother, Celia dropped her book and jumped up gleefully.

"Matt!" she yelled, running towards him. She pulled up short, looking him up and down.

"What are you doing?" he asked, bewildered.

"Making sure everything's still attached. Yep. You seem to be in one piece still. How are you?"

"I'm great! How are you?"

"Hungry. Want a hotdog?"

Matt looked down the twisting dirt road, scarcely wide enough for a car, that led out of the campsite. "Are we safe here?"

"Yeah. This is probably the most remote campsite in the entire place."

"Can the others come out now?"

"Um, yeah." Lee looked back to where Matt had come. Six tall figures emerged, uncloaking themselves. Celia looked surprised, but managed to keep most of it off her face. "Hi Guan-Thwei, T.J." she said. Thwei-Tjau'ke muttered to himself.

"Lee, you know Setg'in-kwei."

"Yeah."

"The others are Kant'jil and Gts'paik." Nihkou'te growled.

"Oh, yeah, and Nihkou'te."

"Um… Hi..." Lee said, a little nervously, looking up, _way_ up at Gts'paik. "Is anyone hungry or thirsty?"

"Me! Me!" yelped Nihkou'te.

…..

Gts'paik, Kant'jil and Setg'in-kwei lingered around the edge of the campsite, a little uncomfortable, keeping themselves busy by examining things. Guan-Thwei and Thwei-Tjau'ke sat themselves around the fire, drinking water, for more at ease than the younger warriors. Nihkou'te threw himself into the new experiences, swigging a coke and gobbling hotdogs with gusto. He had already eaten four of the things, smothered in mustard, sans bun and was starting on his fifth. Celia nibbled her own delicately, watching the Yautja with wide eyes. "

These are very good." Nihkou'te mumbled around a mouthful of half-masticated sausage. "You have to try one." He held it out to Guan-Thwei, who made a face and waved it away.

Nihkou'te swallowed and said brightly to Celia, "They good!"

She nodded.

"Uh, maybe you should slow down on the pop, huh?" Matt asked.

"Why? It's good."

"Probably not for you, oh full of ch'hkt-a one." he sighed. "Lee, don't be afraid to keep him from drinking more. Just punch him or something if he gets to be too much trouble."

"Sure…" she replied uneasily, glancing at the spiky Yautja. Behind them, Gts'paik rumbled impatiently.

Guan-Thwei shot her a look of warning, but stood up. "We must be going." he said to Matt and Celia, "Time to start their training." Nihkou'te shoved the last of the hotdog in his mouth, wiped the mustard off his face and replaced his mask. Guan-Thwei began barking orders at them as they cloaked, fading into the trees.

"Jesus." Lee said after a minute. "They creep me out." Thwei-Tjau'ke made a hurt noise. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean you or Guan-Thwei or Nihkou'te, I guess, but the others, especially the big one…"

"Gts'paik."

"Yeah her, they are just a little creepy."

"They are just as uncomfortable as you are; they've never really seen a human before." Matt explained.

"Oh yeah? What about you?"

He grinned. "I don't count. I'm just a short, ugly, weird Yautja to them."

"I see." she said, "They won't hurt me, will they?" Matt looked surprised and Thwei-Tjau'ke clicked his mandibles sharply with the absurdity of the notion.

"No! Why, you, you're… You're harmless to them!"

"Thanks." Lee said sarcastically. "But that's what they're here for, aren't they? To hunt."

"Yes."

A pause.

She laughed. "Maybe they can kill that creeper Terence!" The tension dissolved.

…..

"I need to go get some more ice. Wanna come with?"

"Sure! But only if you'll buy me a couple of new books. Don't worry about ooman clothes for me; I have some I made."

"You? Sew?"

Her brother sighed. "All right, I had them made for me." He retreated behind the tent and changed. Matt emerged wearing a pair of dark grey shorts made out of a coarsely woven cloth similar to denim. The warrior carefully arranged his awu'asa, hiding it. A knife went in his pocket. Lee looked at Matt, raising her brow; he was still wearing his wrist gauntlets. "I'm not leaving them; I may have to contact the others. I like having a weapon with me that can't be taken away."

"Well, can't they? All someone has to do is unfasten them."

Matt shook his head. "If someone tries to unfasten them, anyone but me or an Elder, they will inject a substance into my bloodstream that will paralyze my heart and lungs. If the person leaves them alone once it starts working, they inject an antidote. It's a fail safe, of sorts. If someone catches a warrior to extract information, they can't leave them defenseless without killing them."

"That's kind of scary. It's like wearing a suicide pill."

"Nope. This is the suicide pill." He pointed at the self-destruct device. "There's no need to worry. They won't malfunction and kill me by accident." Lee took his arm in her hand and poked at the gauntlet. She flipped up the small computer.

"How do you take them off?"

"With a password. The Elders and Arbitrators have one universal code that by-passes the defenses." She pressed a button. Matt gasped suddenly, his hand going to his chest!

Celia screamed, "MATT! I'm sorry! Oh, shit!" He wheezed, sinking down. She caught a glint in his eye. "You fuckin' jerk!" she squawked in dignantly, punching him in the head and pirouetting on her heel. She stormed away and got into her car, starting the engine.

"WAIT!" Matt yelled, half-laughing still. He sprinted after the moving vehicle and pulled the passenger door open, jumping in.

…..

"Ah. This reminds me so much of home." Matt said, swiveling him arms around in their sockets. Celia stared dubiously around at the small, sleepy town.

"Why would you say that? This looks nothing like any home you've known."

"I didn't say it looked like home, just that it reminded me of home. The unwelcome and suspicious stares are so familiar." Indeed the townsfolk, the locals, were staring at the bare-chested, muscular Matt. The other tourists and campers barely gave him a second glance. Many of the guys were shirtless too in the summer heat.

"We'll go to your bookstore first, then to the store for ice and whatnot." Inside the local used book store, the shopkeeper gave Matt an unfriendly look from behind his chipped and scratched counter. He was plump and wearing a sweat-stained red and white checked shirt. A toothpick was clenched securely between his teeth. His small eyes followed them around the store, never once straying to the magazine in his hands.

The only thing he said was, "That'll be eight forty-three." as they set two dog-eared books on the counter.

"Man, what a creeper!" Lee squealed as soon as the door banged shut behind them. "Did he think we were going to rob him or something?"

Matt snorted. "He was probably trying to place my face from 'America's Most Wanted'. Probably saw me there."

"You're not really in 'America's Most Wanted', are you?" Celia said, alarmed.

"I have no idea. Maybe I should cultivate a beard." Matt rubbed his chin as his sister made a face.

"I hope you're joking." she retorted as they walked into the local convenience store. After buying a couple bags of ice, more hotdogs and a case of pop, they left, loading it all in her trunk. Walking around to the driver's side, she glanced at something and flinched. She got in very quickly, Matt following her lead.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Lee's face had gone white under its tan. She was silent for a few moments as they peeled out and roared down main-street.

"I saw him." Matt didn't need to ask who it was; he knew instantly.

"Celia. You will tell me everything once we get back to the camp." She didn't argue.

"I think he's been stalking me." Lee said, sitting on the picnic table, he hands twisting around each other like snakes. "He turns up everywhere; the mall, the movies, walking past my apartment, hanging around campus. I think he finds me at least some of the time because of my friends; they're in love with him. I could understand him on campus, if he was a student or is trying to maintain the illusion that he is a student. I just don't like how we keep bumping into each other randomly. When he saw the dagger, he knew. He knew instantly that it was from you, and now that he has it… I dunno."

Matt's fists tightened unconsciously and he growled. He itched to fasten his hands onto this Terence.

"What's his last name?"

Celia blinked. "I… I don't know." she said, suddenly realizing she had never found out. The fact she had no last name for him, made him anonymous; for all she knew now, his first name could be made up. Matt got up and began pacing. He thought better when he was moving.

"And you say people have been digging through your trash? Watching you?"

"Yeah. I changed my habits though. I don't take the same route home all the time anymore."

"That's good… C'jit…"

"Do you think he's trying to find you, or trying to find the Yautja?"

"I think it's both, unfortunately. Lee, it's time you learned to defend yourself. I'd feel better if you could dish out some damage."


	3. Chapter 3

_(sings) Schoooools out! For! Summer! Oh, how boring chemistry is… Now all I have to do is write a filthy diploma exam. And then, next September, I start my baking course… At 7:15 in the morning. Ick. But baking is good. I bought a scooter. It's so much fun. I put studs on my leather jacket and drive around like a dork. And I almost died the other day after finding myself on the wrong side of the road. Silly (read stupid) road repairmen replaced the worn centre line with a dotted white line. So I thought it was a one-way street, until the cars heading towards me corrected that assumption. OK, maybe I exaggerated a little, since they were a half-block away when I noticed, but still, I could have died! Enough rambling, read, review and enjoy!_

_Thwei-Tjau'ke- Bloodstone._

_Nihkou'te- Tooth or tusk._

_Guan-Thwei- Night-Blood._

_Ki'its-pa- Retractable spear._

_Setg'in-kwei- Tricky and quick._

_Lou-dte kalei- Child-bearer, derogatory term._

_C'jit- Damn._

Chapter Three

"There are lots of ways for someone smaller or weaker to overpower their opponent. It all depends on their knowledge of weak spots."

Lee grinned. "It sounds like you're reciting out of a textbook."

"Actually, those are Thwei-Tjau'ke's words. Now some sensitive spots on oomans and Yautja are different, of course, but many are the same. If someone confronts you, go for the crotch-"

"Geez, I knew _that_ one!"

"-the eyes, the stomach, the joints and the throat." Matt continued on as if uninterrupted. "Just punch, poke, scratch and kick those places and get the hell away while they are incapacitated. Try not to hit someone in the mouth, because chances are that you'll do more damage to your hand that to them. If someone grabs you from behind, bite, kick and pinch everything in reach. Try digging your thumbnail into the spaces between the hand and wrist bones, or the bases of their nails. Kick their shins and kneecaps. Claw at their eyes. Eventually, something will have to work.

"This is just to get away. If you want to seriously incapacitate someone, or even kill them and you have no weapon, don't stop once you've landed a few blows. Kick their kneecaps as hard as you can, preferably from an angle. If you are lucky, you'll break or dislocate the kneecap and cripple them. If you hit an attacker in the throat hard enough, you'll crush their windpipe. That can kill. Don't just poke them in the eye; try and gouge them out. If you hit or kick someone in the head, don't go for the forehead. Go for the temple or the back of the skull. The forehead is one of the thickest parts of the cranium. Or, punch them in the nose hard enough to break it. If you follow up with another blow, push up and in. If you've done it right, you'll send splinters of bone into their brain, killing them." Celia watched, wide-eyed, as Matt demonstrated blows in midair and gestured to weak spots.

"Y'know, you're a real sick bastard." she commented, half in disgust, half in admiration.

"You have no idea." he replied with a smirk. Then, Matt pulled out a knife.

It was fairly small, about the length of her hand, with a broad, triangular blade.

"This is a good all-purpose knife. You can throw it, stab straight or down," He switched his grip accordingly, "cut and slash with it or punch with the butt end. Here." Her brother handed the blade to her. Lee carefully held it the same way as Matt now held its twin. He began demonstrating cuts, Lee mirroring them, slowly at first, but gradually picking up speed. Matt then told her to stop and repeat back all the sensitive spots and ways to hurt them. "And now, I want you to escape."

"Huh?"

"I'm going to grab you and I want to know if you can use the knowledge effectively. Use anything I told you today, as long as it is unarmed. I'm saving armed for later. This is the most important. Come on." Celia stood up and took a few steps away, feeling awkward and silly. Suddenly, Matt darted at her, grabbing his sister from behind and gripping one of her arms. The other went around her throat. Celia squeaked and struggled weakly.

Matt dropped her and scowled. "No, no! What did I just say? Pinch me! Use your nails! Do anything!"

"What if I hurt you badly?"

"You won't. I hardly think you, with all of five minutes of training, could beat me up." Matt lunged at her again, his expression dark and unnerving. He was rougher this time, twisting her arm up behind her back and lifting her off her feet. Lee squealed and struggled harder, following Matt's orders. She pinched his skin ferociously with her free hand, pounded her heels against his shins and twisted. "Come on!" her brother barked in her ear, "Fight me! Pretend I'm Terence trying to drag you off somewhere!"

…..

After a long time, Matt finally stopped making her practice breaking his grip, satisfied with the results. She still didn't want to hurt him, and hated doing it, but he made her. The evidence lay in the bloody half-moon depressions in his arms, red scratches and bruised shins. "Good enough." Matt said, nodding. "Ideally, you should be doing this everyday, as a kata, but as long as you have _some _idea of what to do… Anyways,tomorrow, I'll start teaching you knife fighting against an armed opponent, just the basics, nothing fancy. It'll be enough to get you out of a tight spot."

"Goody." Celia muttered.

…..

Matt would grab her randomly over the next two days, getting her used to surprises. When Thwei-Tjau'ke was not hobbling through the woods on one of his walks, he supplied more useful information for Lee through his halting translator. On the evening of the third day, Guan-Thwei and the rest of the Yautja returned. They were obviously successful, bearing skulls with them. Celia tried hard not to stare. Setg'in-kwei seemed to decide Celia was okay and spent time with her and Matt. They exchanged words of English and Yautian, giggling at the awful pronunciations. Gts-paik and Kant'jil remained aloof, rarely joining in their banter. Gts-paik still unnerved Setg'in-kwei, harassing him or simply staring at him for endless minutes until he flinched and moved away. Once the younger Yautja had gone to a nearby river to drink and try their hand at fishing with their bare hands. Setg'in-kwei returned dripping wet and in a foul temper.

"That lou-dte kalei pushed me in!" he snarled, removing weapons and armor, shaking the water out. He opened his sparking wrist gauntlet and glared. "Stupid thing is fried now! I will have to get Thwei-Tjau'ke to fix it and I am already in debt with him since I damaged my plasma caster! C'jit Gts-paik…" he fumed.

"She must like you." Matt said reasonably, prodding the dripping ki'its-pa.

"I cannot think why! I have never liked her! Why can't she find another male to pick on? Kant'jil likes her; they would be a perfect match because he is such a spineless, smarmy little subservient." Setg'in-kwei sighed and looked so morose Matt didn't have the heart to tease him further.

He patted his friend awkwardly on the shoulder. "Just open everything up and let it air dry. That usually helps."

Setg'in-kwei grunted non-commitally, but he did open everything up further, staring moodily at the wrist gauntlet. In the corner of his eye, Matt saw Gts-paik stride out of the forest, stripped of her armor and streaming water, having obviously gone swimming. With a jerk of her proud head, she shook her short dreadlocks away from her face and continued to the far side of the clearing, pleased with herself. Nihkou'te watched her go by openly, without the slightly submissive manner most males adopted. He was higher in status, but females had such sensitive tempers it was usually prudent to be cautious. But then, when was Nihkou'te ever cautious?

…..

Later the next day, Gts-paik emerged from the forest again, wearing the bare minimum of armor and no mask. Matt knew M'yin-de often did the same when hunting to even up the odds a bit. What was strange was that she was carrying a human skull and spine, covered in gore. Guan-Thwei noticed instantly as well.

"Where did you get that?" he asked as she began cleaning her trophy.

Popping a small piece of bloody meat in her mouth, she carefully chewed it, staring insolently at Matt and Guan-Thwei before replying, "From an ooman."

"Where?" Guan-Thwei asked again, a note of warning in his voice.

Gts-paik sighed and gestured with a mandible. "Over there. He was hunched in the bushes and did not see me until it was too late. I thought it would be good to kill him because he was very near the encampment." She shrugged. "He was not much of a challenge. He was weak."

Something about the young female's description triggered a warning alarm in Matt's brain.

"What sort of equipment did he have?"

"A flask of water, writing materials, a pack…" It sounded like a birdwatcher's gear. "Oh, and a rectangular box with a long tube sticking out of it."

"What? What was he wearing?"

"Long pants, long shirt, jacket, boots, hat… Is this somehow important?"

"Guan-Thwei," Matt said, "we have to find his body."


	4. Chapter 4

_I need a vacation so badly. Good thing I'm getting one. At the end of the month, I leave the civilized world for a week and a half of canoeing the Red Deer River. Yay, camping. My arms are going to be so sore. Transformers was a bloody brilliant movie. I think everyone wants a yellow Camaro now. (hugs Bumblebee and Optimus Prime) Oops! (hugs Sam too) Megatron is such a jerk. XD The last Harry Potter is coming out this month. How will I survive without them?!? But anyways, please read, review and enjoy!_

_Disclaimer of disclaimer-ness: I do not own Predators or any of that nifty stuff, but I do own the personalities of my characters. Take them without my permission and face a grisly, long death at the hands of Mab'ii'tang. I felt I needed to post this again. I hate thieves. I HATE THEM SO GOOD! (foams)_

_Pauk: Fuck._

_Nihkou'te: Tooth or tusk._

_Guan-Thwei: Night-Blood._

_Thwei-Tjau'ke: Bloodstone._

_Setg'in-kwei: Tricky and quick._

_Awu'asa: Suit of armor._

_Ki'its-pa: Retractable spear._

_Ki'cti-pa: Wrist blades._

_Pyode Amedha: Soft meat, name for human._

_Cetanu: God of death, the Black Warrior._

Chapter 4

Matt marched off through the undergrowth, ignoring the saplings and weeds that whipped his bare legs. He began scanning the area, unconsciously settling into the hunting mindset.

"Where was it?"

"Over that way, M'aat-hew. In the thicket." Gts-paik murmured. She covered the distance in a few huge strides. "Pauk. This is right. I know it is. I can smell the blood. But… Where is the body? I see nothing." The ground was bare. There were a few dark, bloody patches, but no equipment or tracks. The hair rose on the back of his neck.

"This is not good." Guan-Thwei said, taking the words right out of Matt's mouth. He crossed his arms, thinking about something. Matt could hear a mandible tapping, something Guan-Thwei did when he was nervous. The young female glanced around, scanning the area. Her breath was the noisiest thing around, a slightly rough, un-hurried thing without her mask. "This has to be linked to what the oomans did to me before. It has not been long. They will not have gone far. We must get back to the camp and collect our gear, then arrange search parties. Come. Now."

…..

"M'aat-hew, you stay behind in camp with Thwei-Tjau'ke and Ce'lia. Kant'jil, you and Setg'in-kwei start patrolling the area of forest closest to the river. Gts-paik, you comb the woods around camp. I will take the road. Nihkou'te? You do the rest. If you find any ooman, kill them. If they run too far, do not pursue! Find one of us. Report everything. We cannot take any chances." They quickly cloaked and began their duties with grim silence.

…..

"What's happening, Matt?" Celia asked as he finished donning his awu'asa. Matt had not put on his armor since he had come, so this was strange.

"Some people are here. They must be linked to Terence."

Her eyes widened.

"Gts-paik killed one that was watching the camp, but there are more because they took the body away."

"Can't the Yautja see them?"

"No. They must be wearing heat suits."

Lee raised her brows. "So why can't we see them? Those things are like, bright silver."

"I don't know." Matt replied tensely. "I want you to stay in the tent. Do not come out no matter what you may hear."

She didn't reply; she simply gulped and retreated into her tent, zipping the door shut. It seemed a ridiculously frail shelter. Matt and Thwei-Tjau'ke watched the clearing, flipping through their various vision modes every few minutes, hoping for the slightest hint of the intruders. His heart pounded. Beside him, the crippled Yautja was muttering a prayer or oath; Matt could not tell which. They could be surrounded by dozens of armed oomans and have no idea. Part of the Warrior's Code instructed hunters to reveal themselves before they struck a killing blow, so that the prey could have a slight chance of survival, in theory. Some chose never to cloak and some neglected to do this; their victims dying without ever knowing the direction their executioner came from. Matt wished oomans had a similar code.

…..

Suddenly, Thwei-Tjau'ke screamed hoarsely, back arching in agony. His prosthetic leg spasmed and he fell, jerking and twitching, seemingly without cause. Matt extended his ki'its-pa and rushed closer. Thwei-Tjau'ke was still. Dead? No. Unconscious. He breathed still. His leg still sparked and twitched. Two tiny, glowing greens spots of blood marked the crippled Yautja's flank. Matt touched them and found the fine wires extending back into the undergrowth. _A taser…_ Was his last thought before something kicked him, clawing up his spine and knocking him over. He wheezed on the ground, a quivering, boneless mass. Four men clad in dull silver suits pulled off camouflage netting and stepped over, bearing heavy nets and restraints.

"Get the girl. Now." one said. He drew a knife and slashed through the wall of the tent. From inside, Lee shrieked and fell silent with a whimper.

Adrenaline flooded Matt's system. "NO!" he roared, pushing himself up on his hands. A booted, rubber-soled foot stomped hard on his back, flattening him back into the earth. Another surge followed from the taser, driving out his breath and stealing his strength. Matt's arms were dragged behind his back and shackled. Beside him, Thwei-Tjau'ke was being rolled into a net. A scream tore through the air. Guan-Thwei, Nihkou'te, Kant'jil, Gts-paik and Setg'in-kwei were coming to the rescue!

Shuriken whirled through the air, but as the oomans were all suited up, they were shooting blind. Calmly, the one who had spoken, the leader raised a taser and shot Guan-Thwei. He spat and cursed, dropping to one knee as he valiantly fought the surging electricity. He succumbed, but now Nihkou'te knew what way to throw his deadly shuriken. One sliced through a man's arm, its twin following moments later to nearly take his head off. Bright, arterial blood sprayed in the air in a grisly fountain.

"Shit. SHIT! Take him down now!" yelled the leader. Nihkou'te was shot with a taser, but ripped it out in time and kept on coming. The three younger warriors followed, bellowing and brandishing their weapons. They cut into the pyode amedha.

"FUCK!" screamed an unlucky man as Nihkou'te's ki'cti-pa ripped into him. His partner fired, but not with his taser this time. With his machine gun. Bullets raked Nihkou'te, Setg'in-kwei and Kant'jil, who were unlucky enough to be standing close to the brightly hued Yautja. Matt screamed as they fell in a heap. Gts-paik, attacking another group, went berserk. The same man raised his gun.

"NO! I want that one alive, dammit! Get it!" howled the leader, firing at the enraged female that was literally tearing anyone who crossed in her path limb from limb. She took three tasers before she fell.

…..

The leader crouched beside Matt in his awkward silver heat suit and removed his mask.

He smirked. "Well. I've finally done it. Captured not one, not two, but five Predators alive. Plus a human traitor and his sister, with only minor casualties. Pity about that one monster. Ah, well. We can always dissect him."

_One died! A warrior died! Oh, Cetanu, which one?_

"You have proved very difficult to find, boy." the man continued. "I shall look forward to… speaking with you later." He stabbed Matt with a needle, sending him careening into darkness.

_Speaking of J.K. Rowling…Heh…_


	5. Chapter 5

_So on Sunday, I shall be leaving for my trip. I decided(and Bastet1023 asked me) to update before I go. I hope you enjoy this! After this chapter, the story takes a much darker, more gruesome turn. Heh. I had to look up stuff in the library. My mental To-do list for one day went as follows: 1. Go to library. 2. Look up torture methods. 3. Try not to get thrown out of said library. Mmmyep. I changed this chapter around lots, moved the horrible ending to the beginning of the next chapter, since I felt that it was not needed yet. So I hope you enjoy this! Please give me reviews since the numbers have been dropping steadily since the last one. It depresses me. Enjoy!_

_Nihkou'te: Tooth or tusk._

_Guan-Thwei: Night-Blood._

_Thwei-Tjau'ke: Bloodstone._

_Setg'in-kwei: Tricky and quick._

_Ki'cti-pa: Wrist blades._

_Cetanu: God of death, the Black Warrior._

_H'sai-de: Curved sword._

_Lou'dte-kalei: Child-bearer, derogatory term._

Chapter 5

Matt woke slowly, his head aching. He pushed himself upright and squinted out at a blinding laboratory, all white paint, stainless steel and fluorescent lighting. He was separated from it by a thick glass wall. Wire was sandwiched between the layers, adding extra strength. Looking around, the warrior saw he was in a spartan cell. There was a toilet, sink and bed, nothing else. He was enclosed on three sides by glass, the fourth, where the toilet and sink were anchored was concrete, painted, surprise surprise, white. On either side, Matt could see Guan-Thwei and Thwei-Tjau'ke. Guan-Thwei lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was stripped of everything but his loincloth and wrist gauntlets. Beyond him, Gts-paik paced like a captive lioness. Thwei-Tjau'ke sat on his bed, kneading and massaging his scarred side, a look of pain on his face.

"Guan-Thwei?" Matt croaked, hoping he could hear him.

"M'aat-hew! You are awake!" Guan-Thwei cried, leaping up. "I was worried. You have been out for many hours."

"Where are we?"

"I do not know. Some ooman facility. We were unconscious for a while too. We woke up strapped to tables and then they put us in here."

"Well. I am not staying here any longer!" Matt growled, clenching his right fist, expecting his ki'cti-pa to pop out. He stared in shock.

"They disabled them. They tried to take Thwei-Tjau'ke's off, but when he started having trouble breathing, they left them alone. The wires were removed or cut."

Matt looked at the crippled Yautja. He did not look well. "Are you going to be all right?"

Thwei-Tjau'ke tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace of pain. "The electricity shorted out the servos in my leg. It's made the cramping much worse too. I will be fine in a while. I do not know about them, though." he said, looking out and gesturing with a mandible. Nihkou'te and Setg'in-kwei lay out on stretchers, strapped down and hooked up to many machines. They shone dully with crusted blood, not yet cleaned up. Off to the side lay another figure, covered in a blue, stained sheet. At least Matt knew who had died now. He felt sick. Kant'jil had not been his favorite Yautja, with his brown-nosing and smarminess, but he still felt awful that he had died.

"Those spawns of lou'dte-kalei's…" he hissed.

"I know." Guan-Thwei replied.

…..

A little while later, some lab-coated men came in, clustering around Kant'jil's body. As they watched, the scientists began dissecting him. Matt turned away, disgusted by the noises and sights as they laid him open.

"Guan-Thwei. I do not want you to reveal you can speak English. Just… Just don't. I'm sure they'll try and interrogate me, but if I can keep the rest of you out of that, I will."

Guan-Thwei nodded. He understood the possible sacrifice Matt was willing to make for him, for all of them. It was the way of the warrior.

Matt gasped suddenly. "How could I be so stupid?!? Where's Ce'lia?"

"I have no idea."

…..

The next morning, the man who had led the group that captured them strode in. He walked before each cell, carefully observing and inspecting. Gts-paik fell into a rage, battering the glass with her huge fists and swearing a blue streak.

"Gts-paik! Ki'cte!" Guan-Thwei yelled, standing tall and spreading his mandibles dominantly. She glared at him, turning away from the glass and screaming her defeat. The man laughed and continued on after scribbling on a pad. He stopped in front of Matt.

"What a wonderful drama; it's like the best nature shows." he chortled.

"Where's my sister?" Matt growled, a note of warning in his voice.

"Why, you're acting just like them! This gets better and better. Your sister is being taken care of. Don't worry; we haven't hurt her – yet. Though that may change if you are not cooperative. Take him." he called to a number of armed men. A door in the front of his cell opened up. Matt tried to fight, kneeing one in the stomach, then punching him in the nose, feeling the bone and cartilage crunch under his knuckles most satisfyingly. His arms were wrestled behind him and cuffed. These men were not simple security guards, but soldiers, warriors in their own right, strong and seasoned. They half shoved, half carried Matt out.

…..

Matt was dragged into a large, attractive room. It was furnished richly in dark, antique furniture, red velvet, brocades and expensive oriental rugs. Golden sunlight filtered in through tall French windows. It looked like an old English manor, not a room belonging to a government laboratory. Sitting in a cherry-wood chair was a little old man. His hair and neatly trimmed beard had long turned white. Wrinkles creased his face. He had a slight paunch that was concealed by a perfectly tailored, pin-striped navy blue suit. A tan trench coat and matching hat lay on a table next to him. A small pheasant feather was tucked in the band. A cane, made of dark wood and topped with a bone eagle's head lay in his lap. It was yellowed and slightly worn from use. The brass tip winked in the sun as he slowly turned it. Matt chose to stare at that instead of meeting his eyes, a disconcerting, lively blue, unclouded by age or senility.

"Please have a seat, Matthew." the old man said, gesturing to another chair. The grip on his arms shifted to his shoulders, forcing him down. "I do hate to look up at everyone, and at my age I must do that all too often." He clapped his hands. "How are you, my dear boy? My men did not handle you too roughly? My name is Henry Smith. This little facility is my pride and joy. Top of the line and I even got to add my own little apartments to it. I have devoted my life to hunting down extra-terrestrials, especially these ones. They are so fascinating. Tea?"

Matt, taken aback, shook his head.

Mr. Smith shook his head disbelievingly. "It's a fine oolong. No? All right then." He busied himself adding sugar and cream to a china cup, a blue willow pattern. "In my youth, I fancied myself to be a warrior, just like you. I have my scars to prove it. Unfortunately, that all stopped when I was barely thirty. Some of your friends prevented me from continuing as a soldier." He tapped his cane against his right leg. It clinked against metal. "I thought I was finished, until some rather kind gentlemen, all rather late now, approached me to create a branch of the government devoted to researching extra-terrestrials. It's become so much more than I had dreamed, branching into still more areas, but I have maintained that as long as I am still alive and capable, this original be under my absolute control. Mr. Adams? Could you please unshackle Mr. Booker's arms? It looks dreadfully uncomfortable."

"Sir? Are you sure? He is very dangerous." "

Pish posh. He wouldn't hurt me now that we know each other. It would be the height of callousness to attack during civilized conversation." They removed the cuffs. Matt rubbed his wrists, but made no other movement. It was not a matter of manners, but intelligence that would keep him from fighting now. Though that little old man… "Have a biscuit." Matt took one, nibbling carefully, tasting for anything out of the ordinary. Sweet, cinnamony, perhaps some ginger, but no chemicals. "Please excuse Mr. Adams's paranoia. Useful sometimes, an annoyance most other times. Matthew, you know these creatures better than anyone. How long have you lived with them?"

"More than six years." he found himself saying softly.

"My! That is certainly a great length of time! Such fascinating creatures, the Predators. Their technology is truly amazing. The one with the prosthetic leg particularly interests me. These human-made legs are not very good at all. I wish I could find out how they make the limbs, how they get them to work so smoothly. Human medicine could be advanced so far."

"It doesn't matter. His prosthetic leg was fried by the tasers. They're very delicate."

"Oh, but I think we could still figure something out. Tell me," he said, leaning forward expectantly, "can they speak English?" Matt snapped out of his little lull, realizing that Mr. Smith had wanted to lure him into being more relaxed, into gaining a false sense of security and it had worked.

He shook his head and lied. "They can't speak any English, only imitate some."

"It must have been terrible for you when you first joined them. Stranded amongst a brutish culture with no way to communicate."

He shrugged. "Why are you trying to play nice? Why are you trying to feed me that crap about advancing medical knowledge? It always comes right back to getting better weapons, more destructive bombs."

The little old man's face fell, turning from cheerful to perilous in an instant. "Boy, I'll have you know I am in charge of this entire facility! I've seen what these things can do! I can have you and your entire family killed in an instant if I wish! Do not vex me." Matt raised his chin, puffing himself up dominantly. Behind him, the guards shifted, clutching weapons tighter.

"I'll have _you_ know that one of the Yautja you captured is the offspring of an Elder and an Arbitrator. If she gets wind of this, sorry, _when_ she gets wind of this, she could start a war with the entire planet. Don't fuck with us." he growled.

"Let's go for a walk." Mr. Smith said, leaning on his stick and standing up straight to his full, diminutive height. He nodded at the guards and they cuffed Matt again. He started walking, leaning on his stick and limping.

…..

"Do you like my little gallery?" he asked, waving a hand around at the hall they had just entered. "All my specimens have been gleaned from dozens of areas all over the world, most of them by me. Some of them are incredibly old, hundreds, maybe thousands of years." They started walking again. The walls were hung with pieces of Yautja armor and masks, mostly badly scorched and broken. A few weapons were up there as well. "This is from my very first Predator hunt, where they jumped us and nearly killed everyone on my team." He pointed at what was once a very fine mask, horned and crested. Beside it was the twisted remains of a h'sai-de. They followed him, listening to the tales of how he had patiently hunted down Yautja after Yautja, killing or mortally wounding more than a few. And then, they reached an especially grisly trophy. It was a large tank. Floating inside was a Yautja's head and the upper right side of his torso. His dreadlocks floated eerily, his milky white eyes staring out blankly. What colouring he had had been leached out by the formaldehyde, turning it cheesy yellow and brown. Ragged pieces of bones and ribbons of viscera trailed out of the bottom of the corpse. "Do you like him? He was a very difficult fight. Nearly gutted me. I knocked him onto an anti-tank mine. He was the first I was able to preserve. The rest rotted before I could get them into suitable refrigeration. If you thought they smelled bad alive, just wait until you smell one that's been sitting in pieces in the hot sun for a week." Matt blanched, staring at the Yautja's grimacing face. There were more preserved warriors, but none so horrible as that one. Mr. Smith stopped before what was almost an entire set of armor and melee weapons. Matt had noticed there were no plasma casters or smart discs around. Evidently, they had not survived. "This one was the one that took my leg and almost ruined my career." he said, anger and admiration in his reedy voice. "Time for the last exhibit." They prodded Matt on again, until he saw a new addition. A new tank. Inside was Kant'jil's body. They had done a marvelous job of sewing up the dissection marks. His color had not yet faded and his yellow eyes stared accusingly at Matt, as if blaming him for his death and the indignities afterward.

"Cetanu…" he muttered.

"I want information on the Predators and I will get it. One way or another, you'll talk."

"Wanna bet?"

"Oh, yes." Mr. Smith said, "I most certainly will. Take him away and start examining the Predators and weapons in greater detail."


	6. Chapter 6

_I LIIIVE! I has returned from the dead! Actually, I got another computing device. It is an ancient beast of a laptop, still running Windows 98, but it word processes and I can still play Doom and Age of Empires. It will work until I can afford a spiffy one. Hey, it was a gift. I'm not going to say no to something like this. Now (finally) you can enjoy my wonderfully grim story! Sweet Zombie Jesus, when I last updated, I was at the beginning of school; now I have a scant month until the end. One month until I say goodbye to fast food forever and hello to a bakery job. YAY! And with this, I apologize for the absence and ask those few readers who have remained with me to please give me reviews so that I may hear how much you hate me after this._

_Nihkou'te- Tooth or tusk._

_Guan-Thwei- Night Blood._

_Setg'in-kwei- Tricky and Quick. _

_Cetanu- God of Death, the Black Warrior._

_Kainde Amedha- Hard Meat, Xenomorph._

Chapter 6

Matt was dragged roughly down the halls and shoved roughly back inside his cell. He paced, much as Gts-paik did almost constantly. Little time passed before the oomans in their white lab coats returned. This time, they clustered around Setg'in-kwei. Matt was confused; his friend didn't seem to be getting any worse, so why were they there? They bustled around, dragging machines over, bringing tables closer, setting containers and tools within arm's reach… What they were doing became apparent once they began cutting.

At first, Setg'in-kwei was silent and still, too heavily doped up to feel anything, too full of drugs to do anything about it if he did. But soon, he started moaning. His feet, one of the few parts visible between the bustle of moving doctors, twitched. They attached more machinery to keep him alive as his cries grew in volume, as he jerked violently. Then, he started screaming. They laid open his body, rooting around in his viscera. Matt screamed in echo of the dying warrior.

He beat his fists raw against the glass, roaring, "GUAN-THWEI! DO SOMETHING! THEY'RE RIPPING HIM APART!" forgetting he was just as helpless. They rest of the Yautja went mad, bellowing their rage, smashing their bodies against the glass! It was all in vain; the oomans did not twitch so much as a single hair. Setg'in-kwei's organs were removed one by one, placed neatly in chilled containers. He still screamed and struggled, his movements becoming jerky and spastic as he was vivisected. Matt sank down. Setg'in-kwei was far beyond the reach of even the best Yautja healers. Setg'in-kwei. His best friend. The warrior with whom he had survived his Kainde Amedha Chiva, fighting side by side, back to back, protecting each other's weak spots. One of his few alliances on the vast clanship. Setg'in-kwei, with his oft-sarcastic sense of humor, his erratic moodiness, his powerful loyalty. All extinguished on a sociopath's whim.

…..

Two days later, the scientists returned. Of course, they weren't the first oomans to enter the room; there were the lab-techs who brought food and checked on poor Nihkou'te, who had not yet regained consciousness, either because of his wounds or because of the drugs. No one of high rank had entered the room since Setg'in-kwei's brutal murder. Gts-paik had stopped trying to smash her way out of the cell, had even stopped most of her pacing. She and the rest of the warriors were conserving their strength. The food was poor; high in refined carbohydrates they had difficulty digesting and low in nutrients, far too little for a hot-blooded Yautja. Even Matt suffered, his own alimentary tract unused to what most humans called normal food. Guan-Thwei stared balefully as the scientists, flaring his mandibles. He whispered a curse to them, asking Cetanu to deliver his mercy to them, which was none. They flinched at the rough words, but only scribbled notes down before advancing to Matt's cell.

"You bastards." he spat. "He was my best friend."

One, a younger man not yet hardened as the others replied, "It's terrible you have to think of these monsters as your friends." He gave Matt a pitying look.

An older man, his hair and beard salt and pepper, sneered, "This wasn't a plot to torture you mentally. Mr. Smith was planning on vivisecting one of the Predators since the beginning. There is only so much that can be learned from a cooling carcass. Your refusal to cooperate was the only reason it occurred in here." He smiled horribly. Matt suddenly became aware that the rhythmic beeping, always in the background, had changed. Nihkou'te's monitors were speeding up. Rapidly.

"Fuck!" swore the man with graying hair, turning away and sweeping over to Nihkou'te like a white winged bat, the others following like a gaggle of obedient geese. "He's crashing! How? He was stable five minutes ago!"

"What do we do?" yelped the younger man. "This one can't die!" Guan-Thwei was stricken, staring at Nihkou'te. Matt thought quicker.

"Gts-paik." he murmured. "Hey! Ass-face!" he yelled. "The female is studying to become a healer. Let her out so she can help him!"

"Are you mad?!? That thing ripped three people apart!"

"She won't again!" Matt looked at her and quickly conversed his instructions to her in Yautian. "You cannot try and escape now. Later. Please!" She nodded, not liking taking her orders from a lowly ooman male, but she did not want Nihkou'te to die either. "You're running out of time!" Matt yelled at the scientists again. He could see the rusty gears turning in their heads, beads of sweat standing out on their foreheads, all the while the machines screamed their warnings.

"All right! But remember, one move…"

Guan-Thwei balled his fists in his dreads, breathing hard.

"She'll need her medi-kit. And don't forget her mask!" Matt told Salt-and-Pepper. He sent a lab-tech out to fetch them. Six armed men clustered around the female as they opened the door, guns cocked and at the ready. Once her kit was set on a table beside Nihkou'te, they let her forwards. She worked quickly, injecting him with a medicine that slowed his wildly fluttering heart. Next, she pulled out the emergency air mask in the kit, applying it instead of the one the oomans had put on him. The air mixture they had was good, but hers was better. Once he was breathing better, she pulled out a scalpel, sterilized it and his belly and made a small incision, opening a healing wound. She began slipping small tools inside, obviously seeing what she was doing with her mask, customized to provide a much clearer and detailed picture than the normal masks. Gts-paik's medi-kit was much larger and more complicated than the others because of her training, incomplete as it was. After many agonizingly long minutes, perhaps as long as an hour, the female pulled out her tools with a sigh and laid them down. Sitting on the table were several shards of bullet, missed by the oomans. Apparently, it had struck a bone and shattered, not too unusual, especially considering the dense Yautja bone it had encountered. They shards had worked their way through the tissue and had caused internal bleeding and a minor infection. She had managed to stop the bleeding. Now she began the painstaking process of stitching him up, first washing her hands of blood. She ran a caressing hand down his face, her now mask-less face softening in a way Matt had never seen before. Wow. Her? Such an aloof and aggressive female caring for an idiotic and irresponsible male? Nihkou'te moaned, his face scrunching up as she started suturing. His was attaining a higher level of consciousness. Placing the needle aside, Gts-paik lifted a small glass bottle with something like reverence. Taking out a syringe, she made an exact, tiny dosage of the clear green fluid. Matt recognized it instantly. It was an incredibly rare and powerful drug, taken from the adrenal glands of a Kainde Amedha born from a Yautja. It was so rare because a Yautja had to die for it. Those Hard Meat were considered abominations. Usually, warriors implanted by accident or sometimes Badbloods were used. Those Kainde Amedha were born mad and super-aggressive, attacking almost every other living thing, often breaking out of their cages. Trust M'yin-de to ensure her daughter had some. Used correctly, the stimulant gave a massive burst of energy, allowing them to continue even with grievous injuries, boosting their immune system and helping them to heal. Used incorrectly, it was easy to become addicted, or for a Yautja's body to rip itself apart, the normal feedback loops knocked out. Matt watched she cleaned up her kit, prepared another syringe, capped it and tucked it in her shirt.

"He'll live, but you have to let her check on him every day." Matt told Salt-and-Pepper. He looked less then pleased with the idea, but would rather listen to Matt than risk incurring the wrath of Mr. Adams, or worse, Mr. Smith, if Nihkou'te died.

"No funny business. One wrong move…"

"Or what? You'll kill us? We don't fear death. You can't harm those who aren't afraid to meet the Black Warrior."

"We'll see." muttered Salt-and-Pepper. "We'll see…"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Whoo… School is so full of the stress right now… I'm almost finished and there's SO MUCH TO DO! I had a little breakdown today because I was having a bad day in the bakery, plus there were a lot of other little variables that added to it. I'm quitting Rotten Ronnie's in like, ten days, so that's a bonus. The story gets rather dark at this point. Also, I am afraid of Bastet1023. Who'd of thought I'd have gotten such a reaction from offing Setg'in-kwei? O.o Anyways, read, review and enjoy!_

Chapter 7

Hearing a sharp click, Celia's head jerked upright from its resting place on her arms. She blinked away her boredom-induced stupor. The heavy metal door slowly swung open, revealing a clean-cut middle-aged man, dressed in a dark blue suit. He had that bland look that was so unfortunately familiar to her. He sat down on the chair opposite her, hands folding themselves neatly on the table. They stared at each other.

The man broke the silence first. "My name is Charles Adams." He stuck out his hand.

Lee stared at it, then back at his face. The hand withdrew. Something flickered in his eyes.

"Do you need anything? A drink? Food? Anything at all? No? All right then." Adams smiled warmly. It was a practiced TV announcer smile. "How is everything going? I hear you're studying to be a teacher. Good profession; we always need more of those. You've done well for yourself, starting out with almost nothing, poor as dirt-well you're still poor as dirt, but you are still a student. Later I foresee you going far, if you behave."

Adams continued the inane babble for ages, Celia gritting her teeth against it; he was as bad as her old Social Studies teacher. At one point, he ordered in a plate of sandwiches. Her stomach growled. They looked much better than the slop she had been fed lately, but she resisted, continuing her silence. "… Pity about your brother, though."

She looked up sharply, lips tightening.

"He could have done well, too…"

Suddenly, he pulled a black item out of his suit jacket. It took her a moment to register what it was. Long, slightly curved and tapering to a wicked point. It was her dagger.

"So what do you make of this? Fascinating object, with incredible craftsmanship. It's strange though; no one can tell me what it is. It is obviously of organic origins, but the chemical makeup is entirely different from anything living on Earth. Can you tell me about it?" Celia, as per usual, said nothing. Without warning, Adams swept the plate off the table. Sandwiches showered everywhere as the plate smashed on the concrete floor. He leapt up, slamming his fists on the table.

Celia jumped, squeaking involuntarily.

"Speak, dammit!" he yelled, "Where did you get this?!"

"It was from my brother, you government slime ball!" she spat.

"What did this come from?"

She glared venomously. Adams stalked around the table, grabbing her wrists. Lee screeched and kicked for his knees, hands curling into claws, reaching for his eyes.

"Tell me about the aliens!" roared Adams into her face, spittle flying as he shook her. Lee spat in his face. He slapped her, knocking her over. She went for his balls. The government agent jumped away and kicked her in the stomach. "You'll talk or you'll suffer!"

"FUCK YOU!"

He kicked Celia again, harder. She rolled away, clutching herself. "How did you meet the greenish one? Been brainwashed? Abducted?"

Lee stared up through her hair. "We saved his life!"

"Do you even know what they are capable of? Don't think you're protecting your brother by insulting me and staying quiet; he's neck deep in shit and sinking fast. He's been brainwashed into doing terrible things. Those aliens are vicious beasts; they've hunted us for sport for thousands of years, made themselves out to be gods to our ancestors. They view us as sheep; expendable! Did you know you're brother has hunted people too? Huh?"

"Yes."

Adams shook his head. "You disgust me. Those beasts don't care for you at all; they would just as soon see you rot."

"No." Celia said, pushing herself into a sitting position. "They wouldn't. Not the ones I know. They are the kindest, most honorable creatures I know. I know they are different; they're fucking aliens! But they've helped me when a human would have turned their head and looked the other way. You are a shallow close-minded fuck and should leave them alone."

"We will do what we want with them, Miss Celia. And you as well." Adams snapped his fingers, glancing at the glass panel in the wall. The door opened, letting two armed guards in. They seized her and dragged her out, paying no heed to her screams and curses.

Celia was brought into another room and strapped into a chair.

Adams strolled in afterward. "I have someone with me you know. Play nice." And then he left, turning sideways in the door to allow someone else entry.

"YOU!" snarled Lee, straining at her restraints.

Terence grinned back. "Yes, it's me." "I knew you weren't what you seemed. Always." Terence turned and began doing something on a table. "I know. And I tried so hard too. All you friends adored me, thought I was the best fucking thing since sliced bread. You disappointed me; you know, Celia, you're much smarter than you look. I'm not what I seem either. I have a youthful face and more then ten years training in acting, combat and torture." He laughed. "My talents were not too welcome in the army; I was to cruel even for them. I was about to be jailed for taking too many liberties with the prisoners when this little hidden government branch snapped me up. Erased my bad history. Gave me a new name and life. They needed a man of my many talents. The fact I am somewhat of a sociopath only made it better." Terence turned again. He was holding a packet of thin needles. "There are a few things I'm forbidden to do; like lopping things off or severe permanent damage, but otherwise I am free. We shall soon have some serious fun anyways."

Silent tears streamed down her face. Her hands were a web of pain, needles slipped under every nail and needles sticking up through her hands.

"Celia… Oh Celia… Look over at the window. I know you can't see through, but you have an audience. They, or rather, he should know what he's making you go through. He won't talk either."

Matt clenched his teeth so hard his jaw creaked. He thought the beatings he had gotten from other Yautja were bad, but somehow, this torture was worse.

"Let's see how you like this, traitor." The cold voiced man said, switching on a taser. He jabbed it into the side of Matt's neck. He spasmed, muscles contracting involuntarily. It was set at a lower voltage than a normal taser, so it didn't knock him out. "This can end at any time. You only have to cooperate." Matt closed his eyes, doing his best to avoid the soft man's watery gaze.

"P-please… Please s-stop." Lee whimpered through chattering teeth. "I don't want… Matt can't see me like this…"

Terence came up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders, kneading them. "I'm afraid he has to. We need your knowledge."

"I don't fucking know anything! I never lived with them! All I know is they fucking treat me nicely! They… They wouldn't torture me, you stupid shit-face fucktard!" she exploded. Terence's hands tightened on the muscles of her shoulders until she screamed. He bared his teeth cruelly at the mirrored glass, pulling her hair so her head was tilted at a painful angle. His fingers stroked up her throat and jaw.

"Oh Matthew…" crooned the Soft Man, as Matt had mentally dubbed him, "Look through the window."

Involuntarily, his eyes opened a slit. There, through the window was Celia, hands visibly wounded, face puffy and red from crying. A man who could only be Terence stood behind her, massaging her shoulders. Then he squeezed until Lee was clearly shrieking.

"YOU BASTARD! Leave her alone! It's me, not her you want!" the warrior roared, thrashing. The Soft Man smacked him across the face, his chinless, flabby visage blocking Matt's view of his sister. He picked up a scalpel, slack mouth curling up into a smile.

Celia was thrown into a cell, smaller and barer then the previous one. Terence followed.

"Keep away! AWAY!" she yelled.

"Or what? I've heard what you've done to some of the guards, but you can't hurt me with those hands now."

She tried to head-butt him in the stomach.

"Still have some fight in you, huh? You'll soon be nice and cooperative. In the mean time, I like them feisty." Terence undid the buckle of his belt, a horrible expression on his face.

She shook and shuddered with sobs, left alone in complete darkness. Her life had gone straight to hell again. Abused and violated… Would it _really_ be so terrible to answer a _few_ questions? So it would not happen again? When Terence had finished, he had whispered the promise of more to come. Just a few harmless ones… Nothing big… But what about Matt? He was surely suffering too. She couldn't let him down. They would find a way out… They had to. No… No more…


	8. Chapter 8

Raptor is a horrible person

_Raptor is a horrible person. Mmmyep. Like I said. Dark. My sister moved in with us, which is nice. I am almost done school now and this will be the last update for a little while at least because I'm going away to work on my Practicum in a camp bakery. Is a very nice bakery, or so I've heard. Not open fires, but an actual proper kitchen. I'm excited except for the fact I don't get paid. Also a little scared. I quit my job at McDonald's, which was wonderful. FREEEEE!_

_So, please read and enjoy!_

_Pauk-de- Fucker or fucking._

_Thwei-Tjau'ke- Bloodstone._

_Setg'in-kwei- Tricky and quick._

_Guan-Thwei- Night Blood._

Chapter 8

Matt spent hours in the chair, seemingly forgotten, until his muscles cramped, his joints throbbed and he thought he would explode from his need to use the facilities. Finally, they dragged him back to his cell.

Thwei-Tjau'ke limped over to the glass, dragging his useless prosthetic limb. "M'aat-hew, what did they do to you?"

"They tortured me. I did not say anything, but I have a feeling they are not finished yet." He exhaled, deep and shuddery, crawling onto the bed and dragging the thin blanket over himself with bruised, aching hands.

"Something is wrong with M'aat-hew. I have seen him shrug off beatings that were as good as torture, but this is different. I am worried." Guan-Thwei said.

Thwei-Tjau'ke sighed, looking up from the fused circuits of his leg. "Is any help going to come? They may just assume we are all dead or will leave us to our deaths. Perhaps they will bomb this pit of horrors."

Guan-Thwei shrugged. "They may or they may not; I do not claim to be able to predict the whims of the council."

"No one does. Cold-hearted pauk-des." The crippled Yautja smirked and then finally just twisted off his leg from the port set into his flesh and bones, throwing it in the corner. He got up and hopped with surprising agility closer to Guan-Thwei.

"Is he asleep?"

Thwei-Tjau'ke nodded. "Yes. Quite deeply too, I think."

"What if I spoke to them and bargained something? I stay, everyone else goes."

"It will never work. Oomans have no honor; they would just break any promises. They do not have to worry about losing their honor, as most do not have any. We should just keep playing the vicious animal."

"Poor M'aat-hew. I hate to see him going through with this."

"Yes. But he is strong."

"He _is_ strong. This is different. He seemed very listless; he had none of his usual anger. This torture is so much more than physical; he saw something terrible. I will give myself up for him and the rest of you."

"_No_!" Thwei-Tjau'ke barked, "We need more time. Just wait a short while longer. Then, if you must, you can sacrifice yourself and see what good it does. You are in charge of your own life, but you may end up suffering far worse than poor Setg'in-kwei."

"Do you think I like to see M'aat-hew suffer?" snapped Guan-Thwei, rising.

"No. But why hurt yourself too?"

Guan-Thwei clattered his mandibles in frustration. "He is my friend and I said I would look after him."

Thwei-Tjau'ke blinked slowly and replied, "Can you look after him if you are in there with him?"

The older warrior hissed, "No. But I would rather be there with him than stuck in this cell. I cannot _do_ anything in here! I am helpless and I hate it!"

The two elder warriors became increasingly worried; when Matt woke up, he did not speak, barely even moved, staring out the cell dully, deep in thought. They came for him again a few hours later. Matt did not fight; he simply let himself be dragged out.

"Oh, Matthew, my boy. Your stubbornness is incredible. Caine has not had someone like you in a very long time. You delight him and he has not even really started yet." Matt stared at Mr. Smith, looking so out of place in his neat green suit in the dismal torture chamber.

The Soft Man, Caine, stood in the corner, knuckly reddened hands nervously fondling a scalpel. His slack mouth moved constantly as if he chewed on his tongue.

"You could easily stop all this, you know."

"No." Matt rasped.

"Your 'honor' will get you no where here. Only juicy secrets will."

"No."

"Very well. Caine."

The flaccid man came forward, a smile on his stubbly face.

"No. Not that. The other, fool."

His face fell momentarily before he understood, nodding and leaving the room.

Mr. Smith sighed and leaned on his cane. "Honestly. I don't know how he ever caught my eye enough for this position sometimes." A light turned on behind the previously opaque window. Matt saw the Soft Man bent over a chair, much like the one he was in but bigger. Guan-Thwei was in the chair. "Mr. Adams told me that this one escaped him several years ago, or at least one very much like him. Was he the one that you first met? The one that introduced you to that barbaric culture?"

Matt's hands tightened into fists, his muscles straining against the straps that held him in place.

"Ah. I see I am correct." The old man smiled slightly. "I did not want anymore damaged, but I need to get through that thick skull of yours." Caine began to wash his hands, drying them carefully and pulling on white gloves. He pulled a wheeled cart over and picked up a wrapped square. Opening it, he pulled out an antiseptic wipe and bent over Guan-Thwei, swabbing a section of his face. The warrior struggled, but he had been even more heavily bound than Matt and could scarcely move an inch. The Soft Man threw the sterilized towelette away and took a number of bizarre tools out, examining them carefully. He affixed one to Guan-Thwei's face, though Matt could not see where because of the swell of the warrior's forehead. Obviously, it was uncomfortable as Guan-Thwei began to struggle again, his mandibles flexing and straining. Matt's heart began to pound. Caine's brow furrowed in concentration, the tip of his pink tongue protruding from between his teeth. Suddenly, his expression turned to triumph as he yanked his arm upward, holding something in a pair of tweezers. Guan-Thwei thrashed, his roars dully audible even in the soundproofed room. In the tweezers was a smallish, round object, a few strands and one cord-like projection hanging from it. It was covered in the neon fluid that was Yautja blood. It took a moment for it to click. Once it did, Matt's stomach rebelled. Vomit sprayed the floor, Mr. Smith staggering away with a curse of disgust. A rage-filled cry tore itself out of his throat! It was Guan-Thwei's eye.

Mr. Smith's voice held a threatening, sharp edge. "Now, I want information and I ant it now. I'm not allowed to do anything permanent to you or your sister, but _they_ are not human. Talk. Now. Or it will be his other eye!"

Matt spoke. A momentary swell of triumph was obliterated almost instantly. He did not understand a single word coming out of the boy's mouth. It was a fairly harsh language, a guttural tongue, filled with rolling growls and sharp clicks.

"In English, dammit!" He slapped Matt hard across the face.

His breath came in a sharp hiss, but no coherent words issued from his mouth. Smith stormed out, a sudden thought coming to mind. Caine watched him go through the window and hesitated a moment. He looked at the agonized alien and would have liked to continue his grisly job, but thought better of it. Mr. Smith might not like it. The old man could be so fickle. He made his decision and left.

Caine peeked out, seeing Mr. Smith's diminutive but threatening form. He was limping back and forth, muttering, but clearly deep in thought.

"Mr. Caine." he said suddenly. "Is it possible to break someone's mind? I've only heard rumors."

"Uh… Yeah. It can happen. Takes a lot though."

"Matthew has finally decided to speak but not in any language I recognize. I am sure he knows worse will happen to the Predator if he doesn't talk because he's not stupid. He does not speak English, though!"

"Uh, you could have broken him. He could just be faking though."

Smith stroked his beard. "Will he get better?"

"I dunno. Sometimes they get better. Sometimes they don't."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

_Whew! Muchly long chapter! So wonderfully gory. This story is nearly over now, though I still haven't finished the rough. So now I am officially a baker. Yay me! I'm going to work in the camps, which means lots of free time since there aren't a whole lot of things to do there. Expect updates whenever I get back into town. Not much else to say here, except I'm excited for Iron man. Comic book movies are usually lots of fun. So, please remember the purple button!_

_Guan-Thwei- Nightblood._

_Thwei-Tjau'ke- Bloodstone._

_Nihkou'te- Tooth or tusk._

_Pyode Amedha- Soft Meat, human._

_Awu'asa- Suit of armor._

_Thin-de le'hasuan 'aloun'myin-del bpi-de gka-de hasou-de paya- Learn the gifts of all sights or finish in the dance of the fallen gods._

_M-di h'chak, m-di h'dlak- No mercy, no fear._

_Cetanu- The Black Warrior, god of death._

_Paya- Term of respect._

Chapter Nine

Guan-Thwei's face was bandaged and he was brought back into his cell. Matt was in his. Despite the horrible wound and the possible beginnings of shock, he noticed that Matt was no longer dull and still. He was almost incandescent with rage, but an angry Matt was better than nothing. This had to stop though. Enough of them all having to suffer. As the guards walked away, Guan-Thwei got up, a hand to the pit of agony that was his eye socket.

"NO! Guan-Thwei!" Thwei-Tjau'ke yelled.

Matt jerked, looking up.

"HEY!" roared Guan-Thwei, banging a massive fist on the glass. The oomans froze, turning slowly around. "I want to make a deal."

They came over, slightly cautiously.

"You can speak?" the one Matt called Salt and Pepper asked incredulously.

"Of course I can, stupid ooman. I am tired of all this and I want to make a deal."

…..

Adams and Smith came barreling into the room soon after.

"Marvelous." the old man breathed. "I always suspected."

"Wonderful way of showing it ooman. With cruelty and ignorance."

"That is the best way to get through to a dumb animal-or even a not so dumb animal."

"How many of my kind have you slaughtered?"

"How many of mine have you?" countered Mr. Smith. "What kind of deal do you have in mind?"

"I will stay and tell you what I can if you let the others go unharmed."

Adams laughed loudly. "I don't think so. You Predators were far too much work to be allowed to go free."

Smith nodded. "You are in no position to bargain like that. I am pleased I have another to milk for knowledge now." He glanced at Matt, who sat still and silent, tense as a coiled spring. Something was not right with him. "You should enjoy your rest while you can, my cycloptic friend. Mr. Caine is going to have plenty of fun with you tomorrow." A faint rumble churned through the room. Adams paled. Smith looked confused.

From the cell on the end, mocking laughter began. Gts-paik reached into her shirt, withdrawing the capped syringe. She took the cap in her teeth and pulled it off. Leering a grin at them, she tilted her head back and plunged the needle into the big vein on her throat and depressed the plunger. She shivered, throwing it to smash on the floor. Her head lolled, eyes closed.

"Oh gods." Thwei-Tjau'ke hissed. "She's mainlined it."

The female's eyes snapped open, wide, a fire seeming to kindle within, leaping and dancing. She sucked in a deep breath, her chest expanding hugely, flexing her arms and legs. Gts-paik rolled her neck, cracking it and crouched, spreading her arms wide flaring her mandibles and giving an ear-splitting scream. Bending down, she grasped the legs of the bed and wrenched at it. The bolts screeched as the slowly relinquished their deep hold in the concrete. Gts-paik slammed the frame into the wall. It shuddered.

The humans, after a moment's anxiety, calmed back down.

"She can't get out of there." The glass cracked. Mr. Smith's eyes widened, the smug smirk falling off his face. Another rumble shook the building. They realized it was an explosion. An alarm sounded, wailing away like a banshee.

"Quick!" Adams said, steering Mr. Smith out of the room. The scientists fled.

In a few mighty blows, Gts-paik smashed out of the cell, sending chunks of glass everywhere. Wielding her bed-frame bludgeon, she attacked the rest of the cells with obvious glee, soon releasing them all. Once they were out, she immediately rushed over to Nihkou'te, to see if he was all right. He was awake, but groggy, fighting the sedative that had kept him calm. Guan-Thwei supported Thwei-Tjau'ke.

"The guards will be here any moment. We must arm ourselves." the one-eyed Yautja said.

The female smirked and wrenched the leg off a table. Matt could see her muscles bulging hugely. She wasn't even breathing hard though.

"That was not what I had in mind."

"Works for me." Matt strode over to the other side of the room and tested the doorknob. It was locked, but the door was not too sturdy and even he was able to smash through without too much difficulty. Inside, spread over several tables and hanging from the walls were their awu'asas and weapons. Most of the electronic ones had been dismantled, spewing their wires and circuits out like guts. Matt swore, but began to gather up what he could. He passed weapons to Guan-Thwei who armed himself and in turn handed others to Thwei-Tjau'ke and Nihkou'te.

"We will be useless in a fight." The crippled warrior said, sliding a hand lovingly against a blade. "We will stay here until you clear a path."

Nihkou'te made a face. Even he knew he could not fight and did not like it.

"Cetanu shall claim many souls tonight." Nihkou'te growled, "Thin-de le'hasuan 'aloun'myin-del bpi-de gka-de hasou-de paya. M-di h'chak, m-di h'dlak."

…..

They burst out of the room, Gts-paik barreling ahead, howling terribly. There was a group of four guards ahead. When Gts-paik met them, she did not even slow down, swinging her makeshift club. They were not recognizable when Matt and Guan-Thwei passed.

"If we keep following her, we'll never have any fun!"

"Gts-paik! Slow down!"

She swore at them and rounded the corner. More screams greeted her presence. The two warriors looked at each other, shrugged and continued on another way. Another four guards met them some distance down the hall. Guan-Thwei hurled his ki'its-pa, impaling one, nearly ripping all the way through. Matt kicked a tall man, knocked his legs out from under him and stabbed him in the back of the neck. He turned his blade around as he pulled it out and turned the motion into another stab, this time into his next victim's throat. Blood spurted, hitting Matt straight in the face, hot and red. He swiped it out of his eyes, licked his lips and turned just in time to see Guan-Thwei rip the last guard's ribcage partially out. There was no desire to do anything fancy; the warriors only wanted to do as much damage as possible, as brutally as they could. They seriously wanted revenge. And they would get it.

…..

Matt and Guan-Thwei quickly lost count of how many people they killed, but they were forced to halt their bloody swath, stumbling into a large room that already had Gts-paik in it, surrounded by Adams and at least a dozen other men, all aiming their weapons at her.

"Surrender, you monsters and you'll die quickly!" roared Adams.

"Never, you s-" Guan-Thwei's snarl was cut short by an explosion that half-deafened them for a moment, the concussion ripping through the room. Striding out of the dust and smoke came a terrifying figure. It was huge, having to duck through the hole and black as night. Two shorter figures flanked it. For a moment, Matt's stunned brain thought Cetanu was here to collect the souls he was promised in person. Then the shapes resolved into M'yin-de and two other Yautja. They were in full Arbitrator gear, pitch black, with only the symbol of the Yautja enforcers emblazoned on their chest plates, a simple, six-pointed star in bloody red. A chill washed over Matt, mingled with elation, overwhelming the adrenaline. M'yin-de was very, very angry and very, very scary. He had never seen her in her Arbitrator awu'asa before. The only other time he had seen the nearly legendary judge, jury and executioners was when one had dragged away a screaming and pleading eta who had murdered his master. There was a moment's pause as they took in the new Yautja.

One man screamed and broke ranks. A plasma caster snapped from M'yin-de's shoulder, blowing apart his torso. The spell broke. Guan-Thwei and Matt threw themselves into the fray. The oomans didn't stand a chance. Some ran away and actually made it, but there was really no place that they would be safe from Yautian fury. M'yin-de approached her daughter, plasma caster returning to the rest position, servos humming, curling smoke issuing from the barrel.

"Daughter." she said in greeting, her low voice a reassuring call back to the relative safety of the clan ship.

"Mother." Gts-paik replied, dipping her head in submission.

"I hope you gave yourself the correct dosage. That is a dangerous medicine and I did not give it to you so you could abuse it."

"Do not worry yourself, mother. I know what I am doing."

Paya M'yin-de looked her up and down.

Matt could imagine her brow ridge rising behind the anonymous and horned Arbitrator mask.

"You are beginning to burn out."

Gts-paik tossed her head and crossed her arms. She was bloody to the shoulders. "I can destroy a few more Pyode Amedha before I do. Did you know their heads explode if you hit them hard enough? It fountains quite beautifully."

"Mm." M'yin-de grunted. "Cetanu's blessing on you then. Send many to meet him."

"The same to you mother." Gts-paik pulled her club from the sticky, red pudding that had once been someone's skull and shouldered it. Somewhere it had acquired a bend. Straightening, she howled bloodcurdlingly and tore out, happy to be moving again. The drug in her system made her hyperactive and unable to hold still.

"Payas." Guan-Thwei murmured respectfully, bowing.

Matt followed suite.

M'yin-de, still looking after her daughter, shook her head and growled, "She'll be sorry later. She's already shaking."

"I must find my sister."

"Hmm? Of course. Would you like J'nana to accompany you? He is trained in healing."

Matt shook his head. "No, Paya. I think it would be best to find her on my own." He bowed to them again and left.

Along the way, he met several more groups of soldiers. By this point some were already injured and all were terrified. They didn't present much of a challenge. The sight of a pool of blood with assorted chunks that had once been one of your comrades would put anyone off. Matt had no idea how to get around, but the bodies made a good marking system. When there were none, he left a bloody handprint on the wall. Somehow he found his way to Mr. Smith's trophy hall. Matt shivered at the grisly relics and turned away. He didn't need to see if another tank had been added. At least they would all be gone soon. Small, flashing devices had been affixed to the walls and tanks.

…..

Eventually, Matt found the cell corridor. The cells ranged from fairly comfortable, spacious rooms to dank pits. All the large rooms were empty. Matt discovered his sister hunched in the corner of a black, chill room. She screamed and cringed when he opened the door. "

Celia! Celia, it's me! Matt!"

"MATT!" she cried, struggling up on cramping legs. She froze once she saw his face. Right. The blood mask.

"No! No, it's not mine. We're breaking out now. Didn't you hear the alarms?"

"N-no. I c-can't hear anything in th-this place."

"I'll get you somewhere warmer. Can you stand?"

"I… I don't k-know."

"That's fine. I'll carry you." She flinched at the gore, but settled into his arms.

"What happened?"

"Gts-paik must have had a transmitter hidden in her medi-kit. M'yin-de and a couple Arbitrators blew open the place. We're safe now. All safe." He patted her awkwardly as tears began to run down his sister's face.

…..

The halls were largely clear. Anyone else was now concerned with escaping and had no plans stopping anyone with the same idea. M'yin-de and the healer J'nana found them. J'nana was burdened with two limp men. Matt couldn't see their faces.

"Give her to me." M'yin-de said in Yautian.

Lee cringed.

"Don't worry Celia. She'll take good care of you." The older female lifted her. Celia looked fragile and doll-like in the arms of M'yin-de.

"We must hurry. The bombs will go off soon."

They started running.

"Is everyone else out?"

"Yes. Just us now."

Soon, Matt could feel the welcome caress of fresh air on his filthy face. "We're out! Finally!"

A spray of bullets raked the ground before them. Matt whirled. It was Smith, limping, disheveled and bearing a gun too large for him.

"I'll not miss again, Predators!"

M'yin-de stiffened and tensed, her laser guide coming on and her plasma caster rising.

"No. I'll kill him." Matt hissed. "He's _mine_."

…..

The warrior paced a circle around the old man. Smith turned with him, keeping his gun trained on Matt the entire time.

"Give up, you old fart. I'll end you fast, maybe."

"I've been soldiering since your parents were still pissing the bed." His voice was quavery with age and exhaustion, but had a steel undertone. He wasn't finished yet.

"How much of a challenge can you be?" Matt scoffed. "You're old. I, however, am young, strong and healthy, despite your best efforts!" Matt feinted.

The old man's finger tightened on the trigger.

"You aren't stupid. Oh, wait. You are. You messed with the Yautja."

"Boy, I'm a crack shot. You are not wearing armor. You don't stand a chance!"

Matt bared his teeth and puffed himself up. In a flash, his hand went to his belt and seized one of the exquisitely crafted throwing knives. It hummed through the air and connected with Mr. Smith's shoulder with a thick, meaty sound. He cried out, dropping the gun, his legs buckling.

"You think you've won, but you're wrong!" he gasped, face white under the soot smudges.

"I am _not_ wrong, you wrinkled fuck! You're dead. This facility is going up in flames in minutes."

"This is not the only one. This was just the first. All the information we have has been sent to them. Can you track down every copy and destroy every last one? Can you destroy DC? Because data has been sent there too. Try telling your Predator friends; see what they do. Want to destroy America? Tell them that." He panted in pain, blue eyes bright.

Matt's face contorted into an ugly expression. "They would never do that."

"They have in the past! When a civilization vanishes for no apparent reason, it's usually them! Humans are nothing to them! Animals! Sheep! Good for hunting, good for playing, good for worshipping, good for food! They are monsters!"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Matt.

"Have you lost your humanity yet? Do you eat us? You hunt us, you degenerate pup! Have you turned your back on your own people for monsters? You are just a performing monkey to them, able to mimic them so cleverly. You'll see when they tire of the game!"

"SHUT! IT!" His sword appeared in his hand like magic, sweeping in a deadly arc. The warrior kicked the headless corpse over, then punted his leering head away. He retrieved his knife and ran to the ship.


	10. Chapter 10

_I wouldn't want to make M'yin-de angry. That would be a very bad idea. Iron Man rocked so good! I loved it. Easily the best Marvel movie in years. Everyone should see it. I just got hired for my new job, so I should be starting monday! So, once again, give me many reviews as I have been starved of them lately. Thanks to those that have reviewed!_

_Pauk- Fuck._

_Pauk-de- Fucker or fucking._

_Thwei-Tjau'ke- Blood Stone._

_Nihkou'te- Tooth or tusk._

_Guan-Thwei- Night Blood._

_Paya- Term of respect._

Chapter 10

The ship hummed as it took off, leaving the facility behind. As it diminished, there was a sudden _krumph!_ as the bombs detonated. Fire fountained up in a sinister mushroom cloud rose. Matt fancied that he could feel a slight shudder through the ship as the shock wave passed them. Matt knew with a grim satisfaction that all that would be left would be blackened rubble, dotted with lumps of melted metal. Once the ship reached stable orbit, he got up and went to the medical bay, for the ship was large enough to have one.

…..

M'yin-de and J'nana were tending the wounded. Nihkou'te was sitting up, looking better than ever. Standing near him was Gts-paik, radiating an air of stubbornness. She was shaking very badly now, like an Elder with a palsy. She was sheened with sweat and quite visibly thinner. M'yin-de kept one eye on her at all times. Quickly, her attentions proved worthwhile as her daughter's eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed in a dead faint. M'yin-de caught her nimbly and deposited her on the bed she had been so obviously ignoring. Nihkou'te trilled with laughter, not worried in the slightest. When Gts-paik woke up, she'd be weak as a kitten, stiff, achy and guaranteed to be in a foul temper. That was the downside of the supposed 'miracle' drug. Even a tiny, safe dose like the one she took had burned up all fat reserves, had drained every last drop of energy from her. Matt had heard the horror stories of warriors who had become addicted to the stuff, turning into skin-covered skeletons or having their own muscles ripping themselves off the bones, or even their bones snapping under the huge stresses. He shook his head. Wonderful, but nasty stuff. He was almost glad it would not work on him. There was the smell of burned meat in the air; someone had just had wounds cauterized. Thwei-Tjau'ke was sleeping, heat packs on his cramping scars. M'yin-de returned to Celia's side, patiently bandaging the injuries she had received. Matt's stomach clenched. He wanted to kill that foul old man again.

"M'aat-hew. You are filthy. Go wash. You shall not enter the medical bay again until you are not a walking pile of bacteria. Guan-Thwei is already in the baths." the Elder said firmly.

"Sorry Paya M'yin-de. I wanted to see Ce'lia."

"She will see you later."

"I… I'll be okay for now, Matt." she whispered.

Matt's mouth tightened. He left.

…..

The ship had a fairly small, though well equipped. There were two deep stone tubs, one for hot, one for cool. Cold water was the last thing he needed right now.

Guan-Thwei laughed, his voice ringing around the room. "Did you fall in a corpse?" he asked.

Matt reached up, feeling the blood crack and crumble under his fingers. He leaned over the sink and rubbed what he could off. Then he stripped and plunged into the large tub with Guan-Thwei. Yautja had little worries about their bodies.

"Give me the soap. I _smell_ like a corpse!"

Guan-Thwei tossed it over.

Matt started scrubbing. When he was sufficiently clean, he leaned back to soak like Guan-Thwei. He passed over a bottle of cnt'lip.

Matt took a swig. He coughed and made a face. "That Kainde Amedha blood? Pauk, I think I lost some stomach lining."

Guan-Thwei shrugged. "It takes away the pain."

"Does it hurt?" Matt asked, making a vague gesture towards his face. The older warrior touched the ruin that was once his eye.

"A little. It throbs. I feel like it should be there, but it is not. It feels empty." Guan-Thwei sighed. It was a serious injury to a fighter.

"I meant other sorts of pain more."

"When you have been around as long as I have, the death of other warriors hurts less. It was shocking, horrible, but… I cannot really explain it. It just gets easier to witness death. You will find it easier to cope with it." They were silent a few minutes, before the Yautja decided to get out. He wrapped a towel around his waist and left to tend his own injuries. Matt stayed longer, dozing and sipping cnt'lip.

…..

Once Celia's wounds were treated, M'yin-de took her and led her to a private room. Lee was confused, until M'yin-de pulled out a drawer and took out clothes. They weren't much, a kilt, a pair of sandals and a wrap around shirt. But they were clean and soft. Celia took them and gratefully got out of her torn, dirty clothing. The kilt and shirt were luckily adjustable, as were the sandals, though they were a funny shape, allowing for the Yautja's slightly opposable toe.

"Why do you have stuff so small?" Lee asked.

"Sometimes we take our young for training hunts. This was left behind." M'yin-de replied. The female paused a moment, mulling a thought over in her head. "Did that ooman… Do anything to you?"

"Yeah. They fuckin' tortured me."

"No…" M'yin-de crouched, so she was at eye level with Celia, her hot orange eyes meeting the ooman's brown ones. "Did he force you to do anything you did not want to do?"

Lee's lip trembled and furious, hurt tears stood in her eyes.

"Ah. I see. Are you with child?"

"I… I don't know." Pregnancy had never occurred to Lee, but the full horror descended upon her. To be pregnant with that, that _scum's_ child! She started to hyperventilate. The Elder pulled her close, rumbling deep in her chest, stroking Lee's hair.

"I can give you something just in case. We have drugs that should work on you just fine. While I have never had to worry about… Uh, over-zealous males, there have been times where I would have found a child inconvenient, or dangerous."

"Oh god! That asshole! Why would he do that to me?!"

"For power?" M'yin-de suggested, tilting her head to the side. Rape was almost unknown to her. But she had dealt with those who performed such an ugly act. "Come with me." Celia hiccupped and trailed after the huge female.

They descended deep into the underbelly of the great ship. A huge metal door blocked their path. M'yin-de punched in a code and growled something in Yautian. The door ground open obediently, with ponderous slowness that really said it was a strong door. M'yin-de stepped in, the dull orange lights illuminating her hellishly. It was a dungeon. Celia was suddenly struck with an irrational fear that she was going to be thrown in there. She crushed it. It was stupid. Voices rang out. _Human_ voices!

"Let us out of here, you monsters!"

"Please, oh Jesus, please! I'm so fucking sorry! It was just a job!"

M'yin-de gestured to the nearest cage. Inside was Terence.

Nausea gripped her, sending Lee reeling to the far wall, face a rictus of terror.

"Come. It is no good to run from your fears." the Elder coaxed. She held out her metal hand, beckoning her back over. Lee took a few trembling steps nearer, feeling as though her knees were made of jello. "He cannot reach you. He is just an ooman. Just a man. He does not deserve to be feared. You should not give him so much of you attention." M'yin-de rasped in her low voice.

"What the fuck?!" Terence snarled, switching abruptly from his pleading persona, "Listen, the big nasty Predator is trying to calm you with its stupid psychobabble!" mocked the caged man. "I own your body, bitch!"

Celia flinched and gagged. She was going to be sick!

"NO!" barked the Yautja. "Face it! Conquer it! Do you think I shied from the creatures who tore off my hand? Who nearly blinded and killed me? Do you think Guan-Thwei flinched from his duty, terrible though it was?"

She sucked in a deep breath. He was foul, a human with a twisted soul and no conscience. "T-Terence… You are nothing. You are just a man. You don't own me. I won't dwell on this all my life! I have control of my body, not you! You are a fucking degenerate piece of shit!" Her voice rose in volume until it was nearly a shriek. Something cold was pressed into her hand. It was a knife. She stared blankly at it.

"Go revenge yourself." She slid the door open.

Terence leered angrily at them, straining at his chains.

"Slut! Whore! Bitch!" he yelled.

Celia looked at him, and then down at the knife. She raised it, hesitated and lowered it. "No."

She handed it back to a surprised M'yin-de. "I'm human. I can't just solve my problems by killing them. It's not my way and I don't want to murder. Terence isn't hurting me now and I don't think he ever will again. Thank you, though. This did help."

M'yin-de nodded. "It is your choice. You know how to get back up to the medical bay? Yes? Ask J'nana for the medicine; he will know what to do."

Celia nodded.

When Celia was out of earshot, M'yin-de walked into Terence's cell, rasping, "You have not escaped you're grisly deed, pauk-de."

He sneered. "So? I'll tell everyone back on Earth about you. Someone will believe me and then we'll get you monsters!"

She slit his throat, sudden and harsh.

"What makes you think you will be getting back to Earth?" she said as he bubbled helplessly in his own blood.

…..

Hearing the all-too familiar sound of someone's throat being cut, Adam's heart began to beat faster, as if it was trying to escape, smash its way out of his ribs.

"I have not forgotten about you, ooman." M'yin-de called sweetly. He heard her footsteps, claws clicking on the floor. A rattling noise began. He heard a few clicks of approval. His door clanked open. In the uncomfortable orange light, he saw the female Yautja's demonic form, a cat o' nine tails hanging on her belt. It was constructed of leather, the ends knotted and strung with wicked little carved bone beads. In the shadows he imagined that he could see dark stains marring the thing. The Yautja grabbed his chains, pulling him up off his feet. She turned him around with a push and set him back down, facing the wall, arms stretched painfully high.

Adams had always prided himself on his composure, rarely even losing his temper, but now he screamed and struggled wildly.

M'yin-de tutted. "I have not even started. Coward." Using her prosthetic hand she tore away his jacket and shirt. Cool air licked his sweaty skin. Charles Adams suddenly became very aware of every sensation on his back, feeling every drop of sweat that tickled down his spine, every breath from M'yin-de. The whip clattered again. He imagined the female combing her fingers through the strands, insuring they were not tangled. Something whistled and hit him, his back going numb instantly. It took a moment for the pain to reach him, but when it came, it came with a vengeance. He made a strangled noise.

"This whip-" CRACK! "-is normally-" CRACK! '-used when I-" CRACK! "-am interrogating-" CRACK! "-Bad bloods. But-" CRACK! "-I thought I would-" CRACK! "-make an-" CRACK "-exception!"

Within three blows, Adams felt his back bleeding. Within three more it felt as though his flesh had been cleaved to the bone. It paralyzed him with its lethal venom. Barely conscious, he sagged in the chains. M'yin-de let him down. She let the cat o' nine tails caress his face, smearing his own blood and skin on himself. The Elder rolled him over with a hard foot and sat on him, pinning him firmly though he didn't think he could ever hope to escape.

Adams screamed as the links of chain running underneath him sank into the lacerations.

"You hurt my daughter. You imprisoned those I chose to protect. You killed my warriors. Some younglings think I am an incarnation of our god of death. When I am through with you, you will find his mercy more inviting than mine and then, when I am finished, if you live, which I have no doubts that you will, I am very good at keeping things alive, you will be my slave. Until the day you die."

She drew the same knife used to kill Terence and deftly cut his nose off. Then she shredded his ears, slashed his cheeks and forehead.

"Your own mother will not even recognize you now." She pried open his clenched teeth and split his tongue. In the agony of his disfiguration, Adams lost consciousness. In a way, it was a blessing because she started to cauterize his wounds.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Blarg… Long chapter. Much grim stuff happened in this story, but I like dark stuff. As probably every reader does as well, since they wouldn't be reading Alien or Predator fics if they didn't.

Nihkou'te- Tooth or tusk.

Guan-Thwei- Night Blood.

Thwei Tjau'ke- Blood Stone.

Setg'in-kwei- Tricky and quick.

Kehrite- Battle/practice arena.

Cnt'lip- Strong alcoholic beverage.

C'jit- Damn.

Ell'os-de pauk- Fuck you!

N'dhi-ja- Bye.

Pauk- Fuck

Pauk-de- Fucker or fucking.

Pyode Amedha- Soft Meat, human.

Paya- Term of respect.

Cetanu- God of Death, The Black Warrior.

Chapter 11

They spent the next few days in orbit, allowing everyone to heal and gain strength. A day and a half after they escaped, Gts-paik woke up and just as Matt has predicted, she was in a foul mood. Just about the only strong thing about her was her voice, which she used in excess. Her body was one solid ache and she was ravenously hungry. Nihkou'te was allowed to move around and spent most of his time babying Gts-paik, to M'yin-de's disgust. Thwei-Tjau'ke was up too; he had not been badly hurt after all. He only suffered from mild malnutrition, as did everyone else and the cramps in his scars. He did not put on his ruined prosthetic leg, instead hopping around with his spear to brace himself. After J'nana gave Celia some sort of medication, she was violently ill for about a day, vomiting, achy, and feverish… It worried Matt until she became miraculously better the next, in much better spirits too. J'nana inspected Guan-Thwei's eye socket and performed surgery to clean up the damaged socket and proclaimed him to be a good candidate for a prosthetic eye. There was a new addition to the medical bay; a human male with a heavily bandaged face that was kept restrained and sedated at all times. Paya M'yin-de allowed no one near him but the other two Arbitrators. All in all, everyone seemed to be recovering well, despite Gts-paik's generalized bitchings and Guan-Thwei's frequent complaints over the uncomfortable metal sphere the healer had inserted into his eye socket to keep it from healing over and closing the gap.

…..

M'yin-de and Lee bonded quite well, the latter eager to hear of the warrior's experiences and of Yautja history. Matt approved.

"It's great you're getting so much more comfortable."

"Well, they aren't that scary once you get to know them. M'yin-de is great; I have no idea why everyone gets so nervous around her."

Matt laughed weakly. "That's because you don't know Paya like we do. She's taken a shine to you."

"Nihkou'te is not afraid of her." Lee retorted.

"That's because Nihkou'te has fluff for brains. He isn't afraid of anything."

"Why do you call her 'Paya' all the time?"

"It's a term of respect, like 'lord' or 'sir' or 'mistress'. It's something you call an honored warrior or Elder. She doesn't like it when people forget to call her Paya."

Celia said quietly, "She doesn't ask me to call her Paya."

"She likes you; thinks of you kind of like a daughter. She's very maternal, which is weird because she's only had four kids."

"That's lots!"

"Not for the Yautja. They sometimes have a dozen or more children. They live a long time so they can have lots. There's also a high mortality rate, so they need to. Sometimes half of their children die before they can reproduce. It's the hunts."

"Oh. I see. But anyways, why is she scary?" asked Lee.

"She has a bad temper. It has a long fuse, but once it's aroused… Very, very bad. She will follow any Council order they give her; no matter how grisly. She's one of the greatest warriors alive. "

"Then how did she lose her arm?"

"When she was young, she was only an average fighter. She was strong and cocky and didn't try very hard. She didn't need to. After she lost her arm, she got really, really good. That's what's funny. Yautja mothers tell their young that M'yin-de is an incarnation of Cetanu, the god of death, to make sure they behave. They say she made a deal with him and he demanded her arm in payment."

"Ah…"

"It's all silly Youngblood rumor. I suppose the injury and rehab focused her. You'll see what everything is like once we get back to the clan ship."

Celia blinked. "Sorry? Clan ship?"

"Well, yeah. You're coming with us, aren't you?"

"No! Why would you think that?"

Matt was silent a moment, trying to explain. "You've been through shit, through hell! They won't leave you alone because of me and I thought you wanted to come with us; you wouldn't have to be a warrior or anything-"

"Matt. I can't! I'm going back to school in the fall! I have a life on Earth and I can't just drop it and run off to an alien world."

"But we can keep you safe."

"Safe?" Lee pointed to some of Matt's scars. "I won't be safe. I'm not like you; I could only fight to protect myself or someone else. Not for fun. I don't like it and no matter how shitty things are on Earth, I cannot run from my problems. I will face them and get over it! Besides, I rather think the government will have learned to leave me alone."

Matt fell silent, knowing he could do nothing to change her mind and somehow knowing she was right.

…..

Thankfully, there was no tension between the siblings. Matt did insist that she allow him to teach her more self-defense. The ship had a small kehrite, which was perfect. The second day after their conversation, they found Nihkou'te in the kehrite. He was sitting on the ground, leaning against the slightly raised edge of the arena. He turned a folded shuriken over in his hands, occasionally opening and closing it.

"Hey, Nihkou'te! What's up?"

At first the Yautja ignored him, but slowly looked up. Matt knew immediately that something was wrong. He never moved slowly. It was always jerks and twitches. Walking closer and signaling Lee to stay put, Matt got a whiff of the Yautja. He smelled bad, reeking of something familiar. Once he was close enough, Matt saw an empty cnt'lip flask beside him.

"Oh no…" Matt muttered, rubbing the scar on his brow.

"Was' up, M'aat-hew?" Nihkou'te slurred, waving awkwardly. He raised a bottle and drank sloppily.

"What's wrong with him?" Celia asked, wrinkling her nose. She hadn't listened to Matt and had come over.

"Nihkou'te is an alcoholic and broke into the booze."

"Oh. Ew."

"They're all gone."

"Who is?"

"Meh'ket. Setg'in-kwei. Kant'jil. More… Lots more. All gone." Nihkou'te struggled upright with a grunt. He took another slug of the alcohol. "'s stupid. You sshould go too. You'll be gone too…" The warrior's face sagged, caught in depression and dreams of dead warriors.

"Come on, let's go find somewhere for you to lay down." Matt took Nihkou'te by the arm and tried to lead him off.

The drunken Yautja snarled and pulled himself away. "C'jit youuu… Ce'lia. Come herrre. Ce'lia." He gestured.

She backed off. Nihkou'te made a grab for her. She yelped, pulling at his fingers.

He said something unintelligible in Yautian, but made an unpleasant face. Celia squawked and poked him in the eye. He roared, clapping a hand over his eye. Matt tackled Nihkou'te, punching him in the face and twisting his arm up.

"Get some more warriors here! Anyone!" he yelled, struggling with the drunken warrior. "I can't hold him long!"

She ran.

"What the pauk is your problem, Nihkou'te?! You know what cnt'lip does to you! You know your problem!"

"C'jit! Ell'os-de pauk, pyode amedha scum!" roared Nihkou'te. Just in time, Lee returned with Guan-Thwei and M'yin-de. Nihkou'te threw Matt off and turned just in time for Guan-Thwei to punch him in the face. He dropped like a rock. Guan-Thwei sat on his chest.

"Nihkou'te! Pauk-de idiot! Why would you do this?!" he howled, slapping his friend.

He yelped.

"You promised no more! Have you no self-control? After all this, you decide to go boozing?! How will Gts-paik like a mate who is drunk all the time? She will not! You will be alone, pauk-de!"

Nihkou'te's face crumpled from its mask of anger and shock.

Guan-Thwei got off, watching his friend roll over and bury his face in his arms, wailing piteously. M'yin-de snarled a curse, rolling her eyes and picked up Nihkou'te bodily, throwing him none to gently over one broad shoulder.

"Piss or vomit on me and I'll neuter you, idiot." she growled.

Guan-Thwei followed them out, still yelling at Nihkou'te.

"Holy shit." Celia said. "That was… Interesting."

…..

After Nihkou'te sobered up, he avoided everyone else. When he was seen, he was flushed with shame. He had lost control, something the Yautja prized. Matt and Lee hunted him down, trying to talk. At first he evaded them, making excuses. But after a while, he could make no more excuses and on the ship, they ran out quickly.

"What do you want?" he sighed finally, slouched in the currently empty common room, a pile of pillows strewn around him.

"We need to talk." Matt replied in Yautian, sitting on one pillow.

"I know that. About what? I told you I am sorry for my behavior. I did not mean to frighten Ce'lia."

"We know you are sorry and we have not come to give you a hard time. Ce'lia doesn't blame you."

Lee piped up, knowing Nihkou'te understood more English than he spoke. "You didn't really scare me. Our father was an alcoholic too and he was much worse than you. He used to beat us. I didn't think you were going to do that."

"C'ould 'ave." he muttered in English. "'ave be'fore."

"But you didn't! You still have more self control than others."

"Oomans. No self con-trol."

"Please. If I had no self control, than why haven't I punched you in the head already for being such a self-pitying douchebag?"

A ghost of a smile showed up on his mandibles.

"Christ. If you would talk about your problems instead of bottling them up, it would help! What is with all the macho bullshit?"

Nihkou'te shrugged.

"Just stop hiding from everyone." Matt said. "You aren't the only one that got drunk after that. _I_ did! Guan-Thwei was well on his way too."

"The others know when to stop. I do not. I start and will not stop until I pass out or someone stops me. I always want to drink."

"That is because it is an addiction. You do very well most of the time. Everyone understands… Well, maybe not M'yin-de, but you never have cared what she thinks anyways. Just stop hiding."

"Oh, fine." Nihkou'te sighed. He was already feeling better. Matt could tell.

"Males…" Celia muttered. "I'll never understand them…"

…..

The ship descended down through the atmosphere, shuddering violently, the air roaring around it. Everyone was strapped firmly down in their seats. Guan-Thwei had his eyes shut and was sweating, hissing curses every time the ship made a particularly severe lurch. It landed, not far from their campsite. It looked almost the same. The government people had left it alone.

Guan-Thwei galloped out and disappeared into some bushes where loud retching noises issued.

Nihkou'te cackled with amusement once his friend emerged, looking shaky and greener than usual.

"So this is it. I shall miss you, Ce'lia." M'yin-de said.

"Me too." she replied. "It's gonna be real fun explaining my disappearance to my boss. Oh well."

"Paya M'yin-de, I need to speak with you." Matt suddenly said.

She tilted her head to the side.

"In private."

The Elder nodded and strode off into the trees where even Yautja ears would have problems spying. "What is it, M'aat-hew? Is it about your sister?"

"No… Not really…" He rubbed the scar on his brow, then brushed his hand through his hair. "That foul old man, Smith. He said that the Yautja would destroy whole cities if we knew that the information they took had gotten out to other places. Is that true?"

She crouched down. "Did information get out?"

He stared into her eyes. "…Yes."

M'yin-de rumbled, "That is bad. I do have my duties to the Council."

"So you would do it? Give the order to destroy whole cities for what they have?"

"We have before. You know that."

"Yeah, but that was centuries ago."

"It happened in my mother's lifetime. It was not so long ago. Another clan had to eliminate many towns on another planet just a short while ago. Some discovered we were not gods and lead an uprising."

"But there are so many oomans in the cities now! Females and children!" Matt gasped.

"Yes."

"I'm an ooman."

She nodded. "It is not an easy decision for anyone. Especially one who knows oomans are as intelligent as us. Who knows oomans are more like us than many would care to think." She stood up. "But, what did they steal? Information on our anatomy? Some weapons designs? They could hardly replicate it without seeing how some things work. They do not have some of the correct materials. We have been involved with Earth for centuries upon centuries, shaping its history. There are many oomans who know of us. They know we are not gods and have for a very long time. They know we can be killed and captured. To do anything to them, we would have to wage war on the planet, take them as slaves. Or bombard it from orbit and destroy civilization, let them return to a more primitive state. A more governable, superstitious state. That would be a rather large amount of work."

She turned away.

"So you're not going to tell the Council?"

"No. I do not think so."

Matt gave a little sigh of relief.

"M'aat-hew?"

"Yes, Paya?"

"You are not planning on coming back with us, are you?"

He stared at her.

"I know you better than you think. You are a very loyal warrior. I saw that from the beginning, when you were still an eta. That is why I convinced the Council to let you train as a Youngblood. You cannot bear to leave your family after such horrible things have been done to it. Ce'lia is, after all, the only family you have left. Look after her. I liked her very much. I hope you will come back to the Yautja again soon."

"Thank you, Paya."

"Oh, and M'aat-hew? If you are going to stay, keep an eye on the oomans. Make sure that they do not do anything with that information besides argue."

"I will do my best, Paya M'yin-de."

When they walked back out of the trees, Guan-Thwei knew something had happened between them. He did not know what though.

"Guan-Thwei? Nihkou'te? It has been very good hunting with you. I will be staying here"

"_What?!_" Guan-Thwei, Nihkou'te and Lee said at the same time.

"How the hell are you going to live? You have no money, no post-secondary, you are a wanted criminal… What the hell prompted that decision?"

"M'aat-hew! You cannot be serious!" gasped Guan-Thwei.

"Are you coming back?" Nihkou'te asked.

"I'll be back eventually. I want to make sure Celia is going to be okay. I won't have more government slime balls harassing her. And, I'll be fine. I'll just do what I'm good at. I can bounty hunt or guide hunters or teach people self defense. This isn't for forever. I just need to do this. Besides, M'yin-de gave me a duty to perform."

They stared at each him in shock.

"It was good hunting with you, M'aat-hew. We shall come back and visit you." Guan-Thwei finally said. Good-byes were awkward.

"Cause lots of trouble for the oomans! N'dhi-ja!" Nihkou'te said.

"I'll tell you if the oomans need reminding to leave the Yautja alone. We'll cause lots of trouble together."

…..

Matt watched them leave, a lump in his throat. He hoped he had done the right thing, that he wasn't causing more trouble for everyone by staying.

"Wait a second." Celia said. "Where the hell are you going to be staying?"

"Where do you think?" he replied, smiling a little.

"Man… What are you going to do for clothes?"

End of the Matthew Booker Trilogy.

So… What did everyone think? Did you like it? Hate it? I'd love to know. And, this is not going to be the end of Matt. I'll be writing a second trilogy eventually!


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